Buried Secrets
by Kyandi-Akatensei
Summary: "Every village has secrets, every village has something in it's past that's better left buried. A bloody slash in its history that speaks of demons and monsters gnashing fangs and ready to devour all in their way. That is what is means to be Chirura." With the Akatsuki making their moves, Tsunade calls in a favor she never though she'd have to use. Full summary inside. Kakashi/OC
1. Calling In A Favor

_**Summary:**_ "Every village has secrets, every village has something in it's past that's better left buried. A bloody slash in its history that speaks of demons and monsters gnashing fangs and ready to devour all in their way. That is what is means to be Chirura." With the Akatsuki making their moves, Tsunade calls in a favor she never though she'd have to use. Enter Noroi Aisa, rumored demon-spawn from Konoha's dark past. But there's always more then meets the eye and Aisa has her own secrets. Kakashi/OC

Kyandi: Hello everyone! For those of you who don't know me, I am Kyandi-sama! And this is my wonderful OC, Noroi Aisa.

Aisa: Yo.

Kyandi: I've been meaning to work on a Naruto story forever and only recently got to it. Developing OCs takes some time for me.

Aisa: Because you like to concern yourself with the little details that will probably never even get mentioned.

Kyandi: Its the RP-er in me. I can't help myself.

Aisa: If you say so.

Kyandi: I do! The whole point of that comment was to point out that I finally got to making this story and I hope everyone enjoys it! So please, review and enjoy. And while I do like constructive criticism, please don't out right flame me.

Aisa: Kyandi-sama does not own Naruto.

Chapter 1 Calling In A Favor

The mission to Tenchi Bridge had not gone as planned. Then again it had pretty much been decided, before hand, that it was a trap. Not that Naruto and Sakura listened. They had one thing on their minds and that was Sasuke.

Naruto knew what he had been expecting to find and he hadn't found it. He had wanted to drag Sasuke home then and there, but Sasuke wasn't having it. He had always been just as stubborn as Naruto. Then there had been the whole Sai-being-ordered-to-kill-Sasuke thing. Not that Naruto and Sakura hadn't forgiven Sai after the boy changed his mind and his opinion. The whole point was that the mission was all but a failure.

They hadn't achieved what they had sent out to do; bring Sasuke home.

"I see. Well?"

Tsunade looked at the four standing before, all four with straight, if not solemn, faces. But there was something else there too. Something that Tsunade was glad to still see in their faces, despite the failed mission.

Determination.

"We're not giving up!" Naruto declared.

Though they were silent, the looks in Sakura's and Sai's eyes said that they agreed with him. Yamato simply smiled at seeing the determination in the three young shinobis' eyes. Tsunade laughed lowly to herself when she saw the look. She had been certain that they wouldn't give up. Naruto least of all. "Well then I guess I should tell you about your next mission." she told them.

No matter what happened, Naruto would get stronger and would, someday, bring Sasuke home. Even if he had to do it with Sasuke kicking and screaming. Not that the young Uchiha would do such a thing. He had more pride then that. Of course this brought Naruto back to thoughts of Sasuke and what the other boy had told them when they had appeared at Orochimaru's hide out to try to get him back. For the next day or two that was all Naruto could think about. It only strengthened his resolve to get Sasuke back all the more. Naruto let the thoughts run through his head as he wait for Sakura to meet him.

Today they were going to go visit Kakashi in the hospital, see how the white haired shinobi was doing.

"Naruto!"

Naruto looked up as his name was called. He was surprised to see, not only Sakura, but Sai just behind her.

"What's up, Sai's coming too?" Naruto asked.

"I ran into him in the book room." Sakura replied.

Naruto wasn't too happy about that, complaining and whining as was usual.

"What the...my plan for the two of us to walk together as a date is ruined!" he proclaimed.

"Even if we had that kind of spare time, we'd be studying ninjutsu!" Sakura retorted.

"Not studying. You two can sure go on painful things." Naruto whined.

"It's not just for your body. You should train your mind a little too." Sakura told him.

Sai stood off to the side, watching the two friends. He was more focused on the fact that Sakura never addressed Naruto formally as his books said one should do. He wanted to try it.

"Na...Naruto. Sakura. I wonder if I can also join your discussion." he said, almost sheepishly as he scratched a cheek.

Naruto and Sakura just stared at him, neither voicing their thoughts as they stared at him.

"Ah, never mind! I read in a book...How To Open One's Heart To Someone Else and it said how to use just their last names and to call people by their nicknames, and even pet names. By doing that, an affinity is made and soon people become friends." Sai told them.

For a moment the two just stared at him, making Sai concerned that he might have said something wrong. A wide grin from Naruto showed that he, at least, didn't mind it.

"Sai, don't worry about that stuff." Naruto told him.

"Did you read that in the book room?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah." Sai replied.

"And, I was thinking about nicknames for you two. I thought it through and for the time being by not using -san or -kun..." Sai trailed off.

Sakura smiled as she watched the dark haired boy. It was clear that he had put a lot of thought into it. He was clearly trying to be friends with them.

"Even if you don't think about it, it'll come naturally to you!" Naruto assured Sai with his usual, wide grin.

"It's okay to call to people by their nicknames or pet names based on their characteristics. For example, take Naruto for instance. Idiot Naruto, for example." Sakura said, basically making a joke at Naruto's expense.

"Sakura, you went too far." Naruto complained.

Sai thought this through, intently at that. Sakura was glad to see that he was becoming closer to them and it made her happy to see him warming up to them. Then Sai spoke again.

"Thank you, I understood everything...Hag."

Apparently he hadn't. Sakura instantly went for the boy, only Naruto standing between them, keeping the dark haired boy from getting hurt. In the end both Sai and Naruto ended up with bruises on their cheeks from Sakura. Both rubbing at them as they finally reached Kakashi's hospital room and stood before the white haired shinobi.

"So you're the new member of the team. Sai, was it? Nice to meet you." Kakashi said, book held in his hands as he looked at Sai.

"Sir." Sai greeted.

"Hey Sakura, come here." Kakashi said, gesturing his only female student to his side. Sakura, curious, answered his beckoning, leaning down for Kakashi to speak in a whisper.

"Those two are wounded...you guys even fight? It's early for a fight. I can imagine Naruto doing it but..."

Sakura waved off Kakashi's concern.

"N-no, nothing happened really. Everyone gets along fine!" Sakura assured him. "Ah...is that so...that's good then." Kakashi remarked.

Sakura gave her sensei a smile before turning to Naruto.

"Naruto." she said.

Naruto gave her a nod before turning to Kakashi himself.

"Kakashi-sensei, for our mission this time..." Naruto started, but just like Sakura had cut off Kakashi, Kakashi cut off Naruto.

"I already heard it all from Yamato. Even about Sasuke." Kakashi remarked, still looking down at his book.

"We don't have time anymore. At this rate...he has little time. Plus my strength now wasn't enough to get Sasuke back. Sasuke's getting too strong." Naruto said, basically gritting his teeth as he did.

"Well if that's the case, you can get stronger than that." Kakashi said, idly almost.

Naruto looked up at his sensei in surprise.

"I saw with my eyes the speed at which he had gotten stronger. It wasn't normal. I heard from Lady Tsunade during my training, there's a possibility he used a forbidden jutsu or had taken special drugs. That Kabuto is with them too so..How that guy'd do experiments on people...I can't find in this book." Sakura said, her grip on the book in her hand, tightening.

"So all we can do on this side is get stronger." Kakashi replied.

"But how?" Sakura demanded.

"Do you think all I've done is sleep and not thought of anything? I've been thinking and it hit me. But, this method involves Naruto. To better put it...this can only be done by Naruto. During that training Naruto, this could mean you...might surpass me." Kakashi replied, looking up at Naruto as he spoke.

"Surpass you, sensei?" Naruto said, in almost disbelief.

"Right." Kakashi confirmed.

"During this training, I'll be with you the whole time. Also it's going to be quiet different from any training you've had so far." Kakashi told him.

"Wh-what'll we be doing?" Naruto asked.

"You'll develop an ultimate ninjutsu to call your own." Kakashi replied, much to Naruto's surprise.

"In other words, we're going to have you acquire a new ninjutsu greater than even Rasengan. However, in order to acquire such power, one must spend an equally massive amount of time and effort to do so. It's not like you're going to get stronger overnight, like the main character of some novel. And this is completely different from learning something like Rasengan, a jutsu previously thought of and one that is acquired through close instruction." Kakashi explained.

"A massive amount of time...we just told you, we don't have any more time left! Sasuke's going to..."

Kakashi cut off Naruto once more.

"Yeah but I thought of a way to do it all in a short period of time."

Once again Naruto was surprised. Though after knowing Kakashi for the couple of years he had, he really shouldn't have been so surprised.

"H...How's that?" Naruto asked.

"Well, you see..."

Kakashi was cut off as the door to his hospital room was suddenly opened showing Asuma, Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru.

"Asuma-sensei, you're supposed to knock first, you know!?" Ino scolded, Choji adding a, "Hello" from behind her.

"How's the body doing, Kakashi?" Asuma asked, ignoring the scolding of his only female student.

With new arrivals the topic soon was changed, though Naruto would find out what Kakashi had planned. Sooner or later.

-0-0-0-0-

"Good job on the report."

Tsunade leaned back in her chair as she peered across her desk at the Anbu operative knelled on the other side. He had just given her his report, providing her with information on the movements of the Akatsuki. Information that troubled her.

"I'll be going then." the man said before vanishing from the room, leaving Tsunade alone with Shizune.

"Akatsuki on the move for real this time...it's only a matter of time before they pay a visit to the area around Konoha." Shizune remarked.

"Granted, this is becoming quite the problem, but it's also a chance for us to take care of them. It's about time we stop messing around." Tsunade replied.

She fell silent for a moment, thinking, weighing her options carefully in her head before she pulled a blank scroll from her desk drawer and wrote a quick letter, sealing it with a special jutsu that only one other person knew how to undo when she was done. The whole time she had a serious look on her face. Once done, she handed it to Shizune.

"See to it that this is sent at once." Tsunade told her.

Shizune told the scroll, looking down at the name on it. Shizune balked when she read the name and looked back up at Tsunade. Her face was slowly losing all of it's coloring.

"Are you sure, my Lady? Do you really want to call this shinobi in? I understand that it would be beneficial to have a shinobi with this one's particular...strength, around, but to call this favor in now?" Shizune asked.

"I was hoping never to have to call on this favor, to never have to bring that shinobi to our village, but at this point in time...that may be exactly what we need. Make sure it's sent now, Shizune, and bring it to me instantly if there is any reply." Tsunade ordered.

Shizune nodded and left, leaving the Hokage alone. Tsunade wasn't sure this was the right thing to do, considering the person she was calling, but she needed more help and this was just the person to offer that help. The question now was...would this shinobi agree and come? And would they be accepted into the very same village that had once shunned their clan, decades ago?

Several questions and only time would answer them.

END

Kyandi: It's a short chapter, I'm sorry, but I have another on the way.

Aisa: Kyandi-sama always likes to put up at least two chapters when she first starts a story.

Kyandi: I do. And for those of you who read my other stories, no fear. I am working on them, but I must go where my muse takes me, or else it dies on me. I will work on my other stories, I promise!

Aisa: If you don't read her other works, she would suggest you check them out.

Kyandi: I wouldn't out right suggest that!

Aisa: But I am but an alter ego of yourself and if I would suggest a thing, then in a round about way...so would you.

Kyandi:...I...That's...Okay, so you got me with that one.

Aisa: And that, dear people, is how you beat Kyandi-sama with Kyandi Sense.

Kyandi: Don't give them any ideas! Please, everyone enjoy and review!

Aisa: We will be back shortly.

Kyandi: Bye!


	2. Surprise On The Training Field

Kyandi: See! Told you we'd be back with the second chapter pretty quickly!

Aisa: She's an overly cheerful person, considering it's almost three a.m. here.

Kyandi: I'm a night person. Can't help it.

Aisa: I didn't say it was a bad thing.

Kyandi: Good! Believe it or not but Aisa is actually one of my more polite OCs. Well...polite to me.

Aisa: I have no comment.

Kyandi: Good, then lets get to it.

Aisa: Please review and enjoy.

Kyandi: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 2 Surprise On The Training Field

A few days passed before Kakashi was released from the hospital. Naruto had been so pumped up for the training that he barely left his sensei's side. Kakashi had no choice but to go straight from the hospital to the training field. Not exactly what he had been hoping for but Naruto didn't leave him with much of a choice.

"Alright, it's training time." Kakashi said facing a laughing Naruto.

"What?" Kakashi asked.

"Umm...it's just, it's been a while since I trained with you, Kakashi-sensei. I don't know why, but it makes me happy." Naruto replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

Kakashi gave a small laugh of his own.

"That's all the laughing you'll be doing! We don't have much time left you know." Kakashi said, sobering Naruto quickly.

"I said this to you at the hospital but, the purpose of your training this time is to create the strongest ninjutsu only you can do. A jutsu that surpasses the Rasegan. The two essential techniques are "Altering the Nature" of your chakra and "Altering it's shape"." he added, holding up two fingers as he spoke.

"Altering it's shape and altering it's nature?" Naruto repeated.

"That's right. Take my Chidori for example. I need to alter the nature of my chakra into an electrical current like an electrical discharge, I alter it's shape. This decides the attack's power and range. With that being said, the Rasegan is a bit different from the Chidori. Since it's a jutsu to which you can only alter it's shape. It's a jutsu that makes chakra rotate wildly at high speed while compressing it. Meaning it's not necessary to alter it's nature." Kakashi explained.

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest as he thought this through.

"Hmm, altering it's nature..." he muttered to himself.

"When learning the jutsu that exceeds the Rasegan, altering it's nature will become incredibly necessary." Kakashi told him.

"I get it! Alright? I'll alter it's nature!" Naruto declared.

"But, it requires you to spend an enormous amount of time understanding that technique. A while ago, I tried telling you a way that drastically cuts that time." Kakashi told him.

"I remember. So what's your method to make it shorter?" Naruto asked, barely containing his excitement.

"Not to drag on too much, that method is...your Shadow Clones." Naruto stared at Kakashi, shocked.

"Say what?" Naruto asked.

"That's it, your Shadow Clones technique." Kakashi repeated.

"That's **what**?" Naruto asked.

"That's how we're going to do this in a short amount of time." Kakashi explained.

"Okay. But how?" Naruto was clearly confused and lost.

Kakashi was going to have to explain this one out too. Kakashi heaved a sigh. He should have known better. Naruto had alwasy been on the slower side.

"I knew it...Alright, I'll explain, but you'd better listen carefully." Kakashi told him.

"Please make it as simple as possible!" Naruto replied, saluting his sensei who replied with a, "Yeah, yeah.", but moving into the explanation.

"You already know that the difference between regular and shadow clones is that you make an actual body rather than an illusion. In other words, the jutsu is a complete copy of you. Although I can't produce as many as you, I can use the Shadow Clone jutsu as as well, so I know the effect it has on the user. Since you use it constantly, you've probably noticed." Kakashi explained.

"Maybe...what is it?" Naruto asked.

"When you release the jutsu, any experience and knowledge gained by the clones, will transfer back to the original body." Kakashi answered.

Naruto stared at Kakashi for a long moment with his dumbfounded look before simply saying, "I thought you were gonna make this simple.".

If it had been anyone other then Kakashi, they might have been annoyed at this point.

"So you haven't noticed, eh..." Kakashi said simply.

"I don't get what you're saying!" Naruto argued.

Kakashi decided that the best way to explain this was just to show him.

"Alright, let's both make a Shadow Clone, then." Kakashi said, both of them making a clone just as he suggested.

Once formed, the clones disappeared into the forest out of sight of Naruto and Kakashi where they played a game of rock, paper, scissors. Naruto and Kakashi waited, watching the trees in the distance.

"What're they doing?" Naruto asked.

"You'll know in a second." Kakashi replied.

Sure enough the moment the clones released the jutsu, Naruto gained the knowledge of what they had been doing while out of sight.

"So? You know what they were doing now?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto's excited reaction was answer enough for Kakashi.

"If two of your clones go through the exact same training, then you end up getting twice the benefit from it." Kakashi told him, Naruto giving him a, "Yeah, yeah." to continue.

"If you have two clones doing the same training, you accomplish the same amount in half the time. And with three, in a third...and with a thousand, in one-thousandth." Kakashi added.

"Now I get it." Naruto said with a nod.

"Something that would take two days by yourself, would only take one with a clone alongside you. With a thousand clones, something that would normally take you twenty years would take a week." Kakashi asked, Naruto yelling, "I get it now!" at the top of his lungs.

"We're going to start work on chakra nature manipulation. While we train, you're to have at least one thousand clones working with you at all times." Kakashi order, Naruto saluting him once more.

"So **this** is why you're so strong, Kakashi-sensei! You've been training like this all your life, huh!" Naruto said with a big grin.

"Actually, I've never trained like this once." Naruto looked at Kakashi in surprise.

His copy-cat sensei had never used this training technique when he had been the one to come up with it?

"Huh? Why? You can do Shadow Clones too!" Naruto insisted.

"Like I said, I don't have your stamina or your level of chakra, so I can't maintain the jutsu for that long. Since it splits the chakra evenly across the clones, shinobi with low chakra capacities, like me, can't use it to it's full potential." Kakashi explained.

"Huh, really? So I have more chakra than you?" the younger shinobi asked.

"You have at least **twice** as much." Kakashi confirmed.

"For real? Man, I'm awesome!" Naruto cheered.

"And if Yamato doesn't suppress the nine-tails' chakra, it could be one hundred time more." Kakashi added to Naruto's surprise.

"That's why you're the only one who can handle this kind of training, Naruto."

A third voice joining the conversation drew Naruto's attention from Kakashi to Yamato as he walked up to them.

"Kakashi asked me to help out with your training. You'll need me to help control the nine-tails' chakra." Yamato explained before Naruto could ask what he was doing there.

"Thanks a bunch!" Naruto told Yamato.

"Let's get started with the chakra nature manipulation training." Kakashi said.

Nartuo nodded, more then eager to get started. Off in the distance a dark figure, draped in a black cloak that covered the body from head to toe concealing even the figure's gender, stood on a low tree branch, watching the three male shinobi, arms crossed under the cloak.

"What do you think?" a second figure on the ground asked.

"He certainly is an eager one that is for sure. My grandfather would have liked him." the cloaked figure replied, soft voice pitched low.

There was thoughtfulness in that tone, as if the speaker was already running several different ideas through their heads. Which was pretty much the case. Silence stretched between the two dark figures, the one on the ground glancing up at the other, waiting.

"What will you do?" it asked the cloaked figure about it.

Silence met the question for a long moment before an answer left the cloaked figure, who shifted, revealing the eagerness to jump into action.

"Let me attack him. I'll have an answer for you then." came the reply.

It was the other's turn to fall into silence for a moment, thinking through the proposal. Finally the figure on the ground answered.

"Fine. Just so you know, it will be three against one and he has Hatake Kakashi with him, as well as Yamato, an Anbu black op."

The cloak figured gave a small laugh that shook thin shoulders beneath the cloak. The amusement would be hard not to hear in that laugh.

"The more the merrier. Everyone needs a challenge now and then. It will give me a chance to work out the rust that has settled over me in these months of inactivity."

With that comment from the cloaked figure, it vanished from the tree, as if it had never been there. The figure on the ground, shook it's head.

"Always the testing one. Well this should be interesting."

-0-0-0-0-

"Now would be a good time to harvest the knowledge gained by your clones."

Naruto and his vast amount of clones looked up when Kakashi, book in his hand, spoke. Excited for the results, Naruto nodded and released the jutsu. Several, "Yes sir"s sounded from the clones before they vanished in a puff of smoke. Glad to finally have a break, Yamato let out a low, "phew!", his shoulders slumping. Naruto, now standing all alone on the field, focused on the leaf in his hand, Kakashi watching intently. A cut appeared in the leaf, but only a small one.

"I can do this. Just give me a little more time..."

Naruto was cut off, Kakashi's eye flying open wide when a cloaked figure suddenly appeared behind Naruto, one leg catching Naruto in the side and sending the young, blond shinobi flying to the side. The figure never stilled, twisting on one foot to make a dashing bolt for Naruto. One fist came flying for Naruto, who put up his guard but Kakashi appeared before him to catch the punch. The figure vanished in a puff of smoke a foot planting itself in the back of Kakashi's head to kick him forward. Kakashi too vanished, as the clone released.

The figure didn't bother stopping to look for the real Kakashi, turning back to Naruto. This figure vanished in a puff of smoke as wooden bars slammed into it from the side. Naruto stumbled back, searching for the real body of the shinobi attacking him.

"Naruto, below you!" Yamato called just as a hand broke free of the ground below Naruto to grab his ankle.

Naruto was toppled as the figure popped free of the ground. With a heave of the arm, Naruto was sent flying into the ground. He was sent skidding across the ground, the figure following. Both Kakashi and Yamato were on the the figure instantly. The figure pulled up short, the cloak moving as it's hands flew in hand seals. Then with a jerk of it's body, the figure twisted on the spot.

A tornado sprang to life around the figure, the whipping wind forming blades to cut anything that came near it. A boulder in the way was instantly reduced to rubble as the wind blades shredded it into small rocks.

When Yamato tried to restrain the figure and the tornado with his wood style jutsu, the blades cut clean through the wood and the tornado swung to the left, heading for Kakashi. Naruto watched the fight from a distance, looking for a way to jump in and help when an arm wrapped around his neck, pressing a kunai to his jugular, the other hand grabbed his hands, pressing them together and threading gloved fingers through his finger to keep him from making hand seals.

Naruto cursed calling Kakashi's and Yamato's attention to him.

"Naruto!"

Yamato jumped to his feet, distracted for a fraction of second, but that was all that was needed. Another cloaked figure burst free of the ground, tackling Yamato from behind and knocking him face first on the ground. Like Naruto, he received a kunai to the jugular and had his hands pinned to the ground, gloved fingers lacing through his.

Yamato could have fought off the figure but with the kunai hovering dangerously over the main vein in his neck, it wasn't a risk he could take until he could distract the figure's attention.

Kakashi was left to fight the blade tornado on his own. He figured, since Naruto had been the figure's target, that the figure with Naruto was the real one and the one at the center of the tornado was a clone.

Using that knowledge, Kakashi prepared to attack...only for the jutsu, both tornado and the figure at it's center, to be released. The figure in the tornado had been a clone alright. The question now was where would the next clone come from?

Kakashi's eye instantly scanned the scene, searching for the next attack. To his surprise something red and flowing like water, wrapped around his torso, slithering up his chest. His knees were knocked out from under him before he could comprehend what, exactly, it was that was snaking around him. Kakashi's hands flew to form hand seals, but a clone formed from the red liquid, pinning his hands above his head as had been done to Yamato and Naruto.

The clone settled on top of Kakashi, pinning him to the ground, knees settling on either side of his stomach. The clone leaned over him, keeping his hands, fingers threaded through his, pinned to the ground. The other hand shot out then, pressing the tip of a kunai to his neck.

"Kakashi-sensei! Captain Yamato!" Naruto yelled, trying to fight the figure holding him.

Kakashi was focused on the face lost in the shadows of the hood. He couldn't tell anything of the face under the hood except the outline. It was a slender face with a slightly stubborn set chin. The shinobi, whoever they were, was light in weight. Either they were young or lacked any greater mass of muscle.

If his hands had been free, or even without them, he could have shaken free of the shinobi easily. He didn't want to risk a kunai to the throat though. Like with Yamato and Naruto, the blade hovered too close to his jugular for his taste. One false move and it would slice the vein in two with no problem. Kakashi would then bleed out in the matter of seconds.

Best to wait and watch.

Kakashi's one visible eye narrowed as the metal of the kunai pressed into the under side of his chin. One flick of that wrist and one of his main arteries would be sliced wide open.

He did not like this position.

"Aisa, that's enough!"

All three males turned their eyes to the approaching interloper. Tsunade came into view, a grin on her face as she looked around.

"That's enough, Aisa. You should be able to give me your answer now." Tsunade said, speaking to the cloaked figure.

The figure sitting on Kakashi straightened up, easing the blade away from this throat. The head under the hood tilted to the side.

"True. I suppose I can take up the post. I do owe you a favor." the figure said.

In a puff of smoke the figures holding Naruto and Yamato vanished but the one on Kakashi didn't move. He had been wrong. The one that had taken him on was the original body.

"Grandma Tsunade, who is this guy!?" Naruto demanded, pointing a figure at the person still sitting on top of Kakashi.

Tsunade laughed as she looked at the figure. The figure yanked back the hood then. Hair as equally white as snow and so long it pooled on the ground, fell from the hood, over a thin shoulder, to pool on Kakashi's chest.

All three males stared. The girl sitting on top of Kakashi was only a handful of years older then Naruto, at about nineteen, maybe twenty. She was fair skinned, lush pink lips set in a straight line, with a straight nose. Her eyes, however, were lost behind the metal, slated plate of a visor, the strap of which kept the top layer of her hair pinned to her head.

The visor folded over her nose, and fit closely to her skin, hiding everything from her cheek bones up and blocking out the slightest bit of sun. Bangs ranging from short strands to chin length, fell to either side of her face. Both ears were double pierced with silver hoops in them and she had a dimple in her left cheek that would make itself known rather she frowned or smiled.

The rest of her body was lost amidst the folds of the black cloak, but now that they were looking closely, the three could tell the curvy outline of a female body under the cloak. This explained why she felt so light to Kakashi. He had been comparing her to a male's weight, not a female's.

"My apologies, but I'm afraid, I'm not a guy." the girl said before her head tilted as if she was focusing eyes on Kakashi.

"Thank you for the entertaining spar, Hatake Kakashi." she told him before easily lifting herself from him, stepping over him to join Tsunade, long white hair trailing after her.

Kakashi pulled himself to his feet. He ran a thumb over the spot on the underside of his chin where the girl had pressed her blade in, just to make sure there wasn't a rip or cut. Thankful that there was none, he focused his attention on the girl and the Hokage.

"What's going on!? This doesn't make sense!" Naruto demanded.

"I have to agree, my Lady. What exactly is going on?" Yamato asked.

Tsunade grinned, both hands on her hips.

"This is Noroi Aisa." Tsunade said tilting her chin towards the girl.

The girl, Aisa, bowed her head politely in greeting to the three. Her lips were still in that straight line and with the visor on, it was hard to read her expression.

"She will be the new member of Team Kakashi."

END

Kyandi: Before anyone says anything, the chapters will get longer as I go on, I promise.

Aisa: She's simply getting on her way, so to speak.

Kyandi: Right! Just getting started. And for those of you who recognize the dialog and find it familiar, that's because I'm following the manga exactly.

Aisa: As you have done with a few other projects.

Kyandi: Right! Now, it's getting late here and I'm tired. So everyone please enjoy and review.

Aisa: We will be back as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye!


	3. Hard Work

Kyandi: Hey everyone! I'm back!

Aisa: She just had to finish up the last few lines of this chapter.

Kyandi: Kind of hard to do with how noisy my house is.

Aisa: And that is why you blare your music.

Kyandi: You betcha! Anyway, this chapter is a little longer than the last two. Told you, I'd work on it.

Aisa: Still could be longer.

Kyandi: Yeah, I know. I'm working on it. So everyone, please enjoy and review.

Aisa: Kyandi-sama does own Naruto.

Chapter 3 Hard Work

" **What**!?"

All eyes were fixed on the figure now standing behind Tsunade who was sat at her desk. After the incident in the training field Tsunade had called the whole of Team Kakashi to her office. The girl who had just been introduced to them as Noroi Aisa, the newest member of their team, was staring out the windows of Tsunade's office...or at least they thought she was.

Since none of them could see her eyes, none of them could tell. For all they knew, she could be watching them instead. She had removed the cloak showing a fit, curved body that would have put one of Naruto's Sexy Jutsus to shame. Long legs, ample curves, all clothed in a single, strapless body suit with the legs cut off just below the curve of her backside and the sides completely cut out and replaced with wire mess.

Mess armor covered the exposed skin from just under her chin to the top of the strapless body suit in a sleeveless shirt look. More mess armor covered her arms from the armpit down, gloves covering that from mid forearm down and even more mess armor covered the exposed skin from the bottom of the shorts of the suit to the tops of her knee high boots.

All of it was in black, the only color coming in the form of the brand new, red cloth of the Leaf headband currently tied loosely around her neck. She didn't move a single inch, even at the sound of Sakura's and Naruto's shocked exclamations.

"With all of the recent...missions popping up in the Land of Fire, I thought that perhaps bringing Aisa home was the best thing to do. I believe she would do best assigned to your team, though there will be a few missions in which I will have to pull her from your team. For other things." Tsunade said.

Kakashi and Yamato caught on to Tsunade's meaning quickly. Aisa had been brought in to help keep Naruto out of the Akatsuki's hands. She was a glorified body guard meant to blend in with the younger crowd. Despite being talked about as if she wasn't in the room, Aisa never moved from her spot or even acknowledged that she was listening to the conversation.

"Are you sure, my Lady?" Sakura asked, eyes on the young, white haired woman.

"Aisa may not look it, but she is a Jōnin. Received her rank at the age of thirteen. She is skilled and as Naruto, Kakashi, and Yamato saw, she is more then capable. I have known her since she was a small child. She can stand up to the job." Tsunade replied. "In fact Naruto, I believe Aisa's presence will help with your current training since she naturally has a "wind" nature too."

Naruto perked up at this. Aisa moved finally, laying one hand on Tsunade's desk and leaning on the back of her chair as she looked down at Tsunade.

"Why not tell them my three sizes while you're at it, Tsuna-nee." Aisa said, clearly meaning it as a joke but Tsunade obviously didn't take it as that.

"105, 60, 1-"

Aisa clapped a hand over Tsunade's mouth, a bold act for a mere Jōnin to pull with the Hokage.

"I was joking, Tsuna-nee. If I had known you would be so willing to say such a thing with men in the room, I would have pretended I never received your request to bring myself here to this village." she told Tsunade as she removed her hand. Tsunade was grinning.

"As if you've ever been a shy person." Tsunade remarked, waving the girl off.

"Just because modesty is a foreign concept to you, doesn't make it true to me." Aisa retorted, making Tsunade shoot the girl a look as she continued to lean on the back of her chair.

The others watched the two exchange one smart remark for another. They obviously were very close, neither taking offense at the words from the other.

"And that is why you are single." Tsunade retort.

"Oh, is it? Thank you for informing me of this. Now tell me...what's your excuse?" Aisa replied, free hand going to her hip.

Tsunade shot the younger kunoichi a look to which Aisa shrugged her shoulders. Those watching fought to hold back their laughter, Naruto and Sakura clamping hands over their mouths and Kakashi raising his book to hide his, already covered, face. Tsunade opened her mouth to reply to Aisa's remark but the younger woman cut her off.

"You're off topic, Lady Hokage." Aisa told her, adding a slight mocking twist to Tsunade's title, putting a frown on Tsunade's face.

"You and I are going a round after this." Tsunade promised the girl.

"Gladly." Aisa replied as Tsunade turned back to the others, who pretended they hadn't just been laughing.

"As I was saying, Aisa will be apart of your team from today forth. She will be running, doing small missions for me, but for the most part she will be assigned to your team. Use her in training if you want, Kakashi. She could use a beating." Tsunade told them.

"I receive beating enough when I fight you, Tsuna-nee. Don't encourage him." Aisa replied.

Tsunade waved her off. Kakashi eyed the girl, watching her. She was fast, and skilled, not to mention of the same chakra nature as Naruto. Having her help with his training could actually benefit Naruto. She could give him tips that Asuma hadn't.

Tsunade dismissed them after that, promising Aisa that Shizune would have her apartment ready by that evening and that her bags would be waiting for her when she got there and also promising to go a round in a spar with Aisa later. Aisa called a thanks over her shoulder as she headed out the door.

Silence fell over the group as they walked, Aisa keeping a good amount of space between her and the group. The high heels of her sandals clicked as she walked and now that they could see the back of her they could see the five, forearm length blades strapped to the back of her belt. From the hilt of each hung tiny bells that jingled with each step she took.

For any typical ninja, the bells would have given them away. Considering Naruto, nor Yamato and Kakashi, had heard the bells when she had attacked them on the training field, she was no typical ninja.

"Umm...Aisa-chan-" Sakura started, but Aisa cut her off, tilting her head to the side.

"Just Aisa. You don't have to use honorifics with me." Aisa told her. Sakura nodded.

"Can I ask you a question?" Sakura asked, falling into step beside the other girl.

Of course Sakura instantly tried to get along with Aisa. Sakura had been the only girl since Squad Seven, and then Team Kakashi, had formed. She was happy to have another female on her side.

"I'm all ears." Aisa replied.

"If you don't mind me asking, if you haven't been in the village the past few years, as Lady Tsunade suggested, then where have you been?" Sakura asked.

The boys listened quietly, watching the two females. They were all curious as to the answer anyway.

"Several places, actually. Tsuna-nee is the only Hokage I've ever acknowledged, though I got along fine with the Third. But, aside from obtaining my rank as a Leaf shinobi, before she became Hokage, I didn't really serve the Leaf Village. I traveled, working as a free lanch shinobi of sorts. When Tsuna-nee took over as the Fifth Hokage, I started working missions for her, but from a distance. I wouldn't have ever stepped foot in this village if she had not requested my presence here." Aisa answered.

"Huh? Why not?" Naruto asked, looking over his shoulder at Aisa.

"Complicated, personal issues. **Classified** , complicated, personal issues." Aisa replied. Naruto scoffed.

"What's that about!? Classified? What could possibly be classified about it!?" Naruto replied.

Kakashi was sure he heard a soft laugh come from Aisa as she shook her head, but her mouth never moved from it's neutral line.

"As I said, it's complicated. The point is that I am here now as a favor to Tsuna-nee." Aisa replied.

By this point they had reached the door and stepped out into the late afternoon sunlight. Aisa continued walking, without much of a care as to where she was going.

"You call her "Tsuna-nee". Are you two that close?" Naruto asked.

Aisa's face turned towards him though Nartuo didn't know if she was looking at him or not. She tilted her head to the side.

"You don't know?" Aisa asked.

"Know what?" Naruto replied.

"Tsuna-nee is my cousin. We're related." Aisa replied.

Five pairs of shocked eyes fell on the white haired girl as she continued walking, now pulling ahead of them since they had all come to a stop at the news. Aisa walked a few feet before turning to face them.

"I take it since you stopped walking and are silent, that you are shocked to hear this." Aisa remarked.

"Isn't that obvious!?" Naruto asked.

"No. I'm blind, Uzumaki Naruto." Aisa replied reaching up to knock her knuckles against the metal visor sitting over her eyes.

"I can't see a thing past this." she added.

Another shock. They had all pretty much assumed that she could see out of the visor. From the way she had phrased it, it sounded like Aisa had purposely blinded herself.

"But to be honest, I'm not surprised Tsuna-nee has never mentioned me. She respects my wishes." Aisa added.

"So you're related to the First and Second Hokages!?" Naruto asked, excitedly.

One white eyebrow shot up over her visor.

"The First Hokage was her paternal grandfather and the Second her paternal uncle. For all you know I could be from her mother's side of the family or even her paternal grandmother's side of the family. Which would mean I would only be related to them by marriage." Aisa replied.

That was not a no, but nor was it a yes. She was good at beating around the bush and giving them answers without really answering them. A true shinobi through and through.

"Do you ever answer questions?" Naruto asked in a grumpy tone.

"Do you smell fried squid?" Aisa asked in reply.

This made Naruto snap.

"You're purposely changing the subject now!" he accused.

"Now whatever would give you that idea." Aisa replied, turning away from them.

Kakashi could have sworn he saw the slight uplifting of the corners of her mouth as she turned away.

"Now aren't you suppose to be doing training?" Aisa asked.

With that one, little sentence, Aisa completely derailed Naruto's train of thought and got him off his current line of questioning. The tactic would only work on a select few and at the moment, Naruto was the only one in the group that it would work on. Naruto gave a cheer about continuing training and took off, Aisa right behind him, despite not being able to see him.

"I guess that means we have to go too." Kakashi said, looking at Yamato who heaved a sigh.

"Right then." Yamato agreed.

Kakashi gave Sai and Sakura a wave before he and Yamato hurried to catch up with Naruto and Aisa. The two had reached the training field ahead of them and Naruto was currently explaining his training to Aisa. Aisa stood in silence, listening to him until he finished.

"An accelerated training regiment then. It certainly would require a vast store of chakra and the stamina to maintain the jutsu for such an extended period of time." Aisa said thoughtfully.

"Could you do it, Aisa?" Naruto asked.

"My chakra is above average but even I could not maintain that jutsu for as long as you or on the same scale as you. A good protion of my chakra goes into maintaining a jutsu I have in constant use." Aisa replied.

She didn't bother to explain what that jutsu was.

"And you have a wind chakra nature?" Naruto asked.

"Yes. You saw my Tornado Blade Jutsu." Aisa replied.

"You can use earth chakra nature too, right?" Yamato asked.

Aisa leaned her head towards him in acknowledgment.

"Not exactly. I can use a few Earth style jutsus, but that's it. But I can use Lightning and Fire too." Aisa replied.

"You can use three of them!? How!?" Naruto asked in shock.

Aisa didn't answer, of course.

"Working as you have, you probably won't need my help with your training. You're sensei has it all covered." Aisa said instead.

"Do you ever answer any questions!?" Naruto snapped at her.

"Of course I do. I just answered a question for you now." Aisa replied before turning away from Naruto.

Even though the blond was annoyed with Aisa, Kakashi and Yamato couldn't help finding the situation completely amusing.

"When you get to be my age and have lived outside the security of a village for as long as I have, you find that answering all questions isn't the best idea." Aisa added.

"Wait...are you older then me?" Naruto asked. Aisa turned back to him.

"You're sixteen, right?" she asked.

"Yeah." Naruto replied.

"Then yes, I'm older." she replied.

"How much older?" Naruto asked.

"Aren't you suppose to be focusing on training?" Aisa replied as she walked across the training feild to claim a perch on a boulder.

Naruto nearly ripped his hair out from frustration. Kakashi found it amusing and had to hold back a laugh as Yamato calmed Naruto enough to get back to training. Naruto walked across the field until he stood before Aisa.

"How are you suppose to watch me if you can't see?" Naruto asked.

"Believe me Naruto, even if I can't see with my eyes, I can still see. I've been walking around, and fighting, blind for half of my life. Between my hearing, touch, and a jutsu of mine, I can form a very accurate picture of what is around me." Aisa assured him before waving him off. "Go train."

Naruto gave her a sour look but returned to his training, Yamato setting up not far from Aisa, Kakashi standing between the two, his book in his hand. Now and then, Aisa would offer up bits of advice for Naruto, some of which actually helped him, but aside from those comments, she didn't really talk. She simply pulled one leg up to drape an arm over her knee, her chin resting on her arm. Finally after a few hours of sitting like that Naruto finally let out a cheer.

"Alright! See that!? Clean in half! It must mean that I'm pretty awesome, right!? At this rate, I'll have mastered this jutsu in no time!" Naruto cheered.

"Well actually it's thanks to this novel training method. So it's really my brains which are pretty awesome." Kakashi remarked as Naruto released his jutsu.

"Oh yes, because every woman likes a prideful man." Aisa said, more to herself then to them.

Kakashi turned to look at her but Aisa didn't act like she had said anything.

"Yeah whatever. Let's just get on to..."

Naruto didn't even finish his sentence before collapsing, Kakashi catching him on his back before he hit the ground.

"Well, it's also true that only you would be able to do this, Naruto." Kakashi remarked before turning to Yamato.

"Yamato, I think it would be a good time to take a rest." Kakashi told him, laying Naruto at the base of a tree.

Aisa tilted her head towards them, as if tilting an ear to listen.

"Are you really blind behind that thing?" Yamato asked looking at Aisa.

"Depends on what you're asking. Are you asking me whether I'd be able to see if I took this off or are you asking if I can't see past it?" she replied.

"The first." Yamato said.

"No I'm not actually blind. If I took this off I could see just as well as you can." Aisa said.

"Then why wear it?" Yamato asked.

"You know he might benefit from actual demonstrations instead of just instructions." Aisa said, completely ignoring the question.

Now Yamato knew how Naruto felt when faced with Aisa and her evasion tactics. Kakashi just rolled with it. Every shinobi had their secrets and Aisa had just as much right to hers as Kakashi and Yamato had to their own.

"I suppose you would be willing to preform these demonstrations? You are the only one here with wind style jutsu." Kakashi said.

"Oh I don't believe for a second that you, the Copy Cat Ninja, doesn't have a wind style jutsu somewhere in your arsenal." Aisa replied.

She had a point but that was beside the point. Aisa was the one with the wind nature, not Kakashi.

"You know what I meant." he told her.

"I do and I don't mind at all. It'll give me something to do." she replied.

Kakashi and Yamato shared a look. Aisa could be the type to quickly wane on a person's nerves if they didn't know how to deal with her. Luckily for the two of them they had practice with Naruto and Sakura and could handle almost anything. The two didn't say anything to Aisa, just sat down to wait for Naruto to wake up. Aisa pushed herself off the boulder and stretched before starting to walk away.

"Are you going somewhere?" Yamato asked.

"Yes. I'm going to run and get something to eat. Can't train on an empty stomach and after using that much chakra, he'll need to eat." Aisa replied.

With that the girl vanished in a whirlwind of red. At least she was considerate.

-0-0-0-0-

Naruto awoke to the smell of a bento lunch, his stomach giving a grumble. When he sat up he found Aisa, Yamato, and Kakashi sitting around him, food on the ground in front of them.

"Looks like you're awake." Kakashi said looking over at him.

"Again...don't tell me I..."

Naruto cut off as Aisa held out a closed bento box to Naruto.

"This training method will wear you out quickly. We'll rest a bit more before moving on. Time for the next step." Kakashi told Naruto, holding up the leaf Naruto had cut in half.

"So eat for now." Aisa added. Naruto took the bento and chopsticks and dug in.

"What we gonna do?" Naruto asked between bites.

Kakashi pointed at the waterfall Yamato had made when they first started training.

"We're gonna cut waterfalls." Kakashi told him.

"Waterfall!?" Naruto questioned.

"By putting your hand against the waterfall and hitting it with all the wind chakra you can produce. For this part, you will need to be able to apply "Nature Alteration" on massive amounts of chakra in an instant. Aisa will demonstrate for you." Yamato told Naruto, who looked at the female to his left.

"If you pass this stage, it will finally become useful in battle." Kakashi told him.

"If I pass this stage, I will have my first "Nature Alteration"." Naruto remarked.

With that Naruto flew to his feet.

"Breaks over! Time to get started on the training again!" Naruto declared, turning to Aisa. "Show me!"

A thin, white brow shot up over the visor, but she didn't budge from her spot.

"You could work a please in that somewhere." she replied.

"Please!" Naruto added quickly.

For his training he would add the please in. Aisa pushed herself to her feet, dusting off the seat of her shorts.

"Alright." she said.

Yamato, using his wood style jutsu, built a bridge in front of the waterfall for Naruto, and at the moment, Aisa, to stand on. Aisa currently stood in the middle of it, facing the waterfall. Naruto stood beside her watching.

"Alright, Naruto. With this kind of training you have to picture your chakra leaving your hands and cutting across the length of the water. Like a hot knife through butter. You need to grind that knife, sharper and sharper. The sharper the better, understand. It takes a lot of control, but it's not impossible." Aisa told Naruto before turning back to the waterfall.

For a moment she stood there, taking a few deep breaths before she reached one hand out to press the palm to the water. Naruto watched closely. At first nothing happened. Then Aisa's brows shot down just before a slit separated the water in two, starting at her hand and racing from one side of the water to the other, cutting off the flow of the water to the ground below. Naruto stared in wonder as Aisa removed her hand. The water returned to its course as if Aisa hadn't done a thing.

"See?" Aisa asked.

"Yeah!" Naruto cheered.

"Then get to it, though you might want to try both hands." Aisa replied before jumping from the tree bridge.

She landed lightly on the ground and strolled back over to her boulder, reclaiming her perch. Naruto got to working trying to preform the act Aisa had done with ease. The older shinobi had made it seem so easy when she had done it. Needless to say Naruto grew frustrated with it quickly. Aisa could feel the annoyance and frustration rolling off him from where she sat. She knew it was only a matter of time before he exploded. Sure enough a few hours in was all he could take.

"Damn it! The water's not even splitting. Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi looked up at Naruto as the blond boy turned to him.

"Don't I need more clones then this?" Naruto asked.

"You're suppose to be learning how to manipulate large amounts of chakra to be wind-natured. If you use too many, you'll end up using less chakra per clone." Kakashi explained.

"Then teach me how to do it better!" Naruto demanded.

"You're releasing the chakra too quickly. Take your time and get it under control first." Kakashi replied.

"But taking my time won't help if I have to fight someone!" Naruto argued.

"Look you're training. Forget about real fights for now. Focus on doing it right." Kakashi told him.

"Remember, nature manipulation training is suppose to take years. Just learning how to cut a leaf would have normally taken six months. You managed to get it in a few hours. That's not bad at all, right? You're progressing faster than you think, so relax." Kakashi added.

That did nothing to make the younger male feel better about his progress. Aisa knew he was close to snapping at this point.

"She can do it and she's not much older!" Naruto retorted, pointing to Aisa.

"Yeah and my sensei had me training with change in chakra nature since I was six. It's not easy, Naruto. I managed it because my clan's kekai genkai. So I had an unfair advantage over you." Aisa replied.

Naruto tsked, blowing this off.

"It even took Sasuke, who's a true genius, several long days before he got the hang of lighting natured chakra manipulation." Kakashi told Naruto.

Probably not the best thing he could have said to Naruto. Even Aisa, who had only known Naruto a couple of hours, could tell that. Naruto stomped his foot out of anger.

"I need to be stronger then Sasuke!" Naruto declared.

Silence fell over the three on the ground before Aisa heaved a sigh.

"Then you have a lot of work ahead of you." she replied.

Naruto fixed eyes on Aisa as she ran a hand through her hair.

"How do you know?" Naruto asked. Aisa leaned back on her hands.

"Do you really want to go through my not-going-answer-and-you-get-annoyed run?" she asked.

Naruto basically pouted. Kakashi though turned to Yamato to whisper in his ear.

"Heh...okay." Yamato said before his hands starting moving in hands signs.

Naruto and his clones fought to keep their balance as the tree bridge shook and rearrange itself, the waterfall growing in length, the tree bridge with it.

"Well ask and you shall receive." Aisa remarked.

Just then a crimson red bird swooped down from the sky. Aisa held out her hand allowing the bird to land on it. She pulled the hand and bird close to her ear and tilted her ear to it as if the bird could speak. For a moment she remained that way, the three males watching her then she pulled the hand away.

"Got it. Thank you." Aisa told the bird.

With a poof of smoke, the bird vanished.

"Well, train hard Naruto. I have to go." Aisa said.

"What? Where to?" Naruto asked.

"Nowhere important. I'll be back in a few days. Tsuna-nee's orders. See ya." Aisa said, giving them a two fingered salute before she vanished in a puff of smoke as well.

"That girl is strange." Yamato remarked.

"Careful or she might hear you." Kakashi warned him.

Yamato frowned. He had only known Aisa for a day and already he knew it was best not to annoy the girl. No he liked his body in one piece.

-0-0-0-0-

The three didn't see Aisa for the next few days. Even by the time they had made their beds in camping rolls on the training field on the third night, the girl hadn't made a reappearance. Kakashi had to remind Naruto that she had said it would be a few days before she came back. Naruto managed to split the waterfall in the time she was gone. The next morning after that the three were awoken by the smell of food. When they sat up they found Aisa sitting on her boulder from the day before, a bento box balanced in her lap.

"Morning." she greeted, before reaching down and grabbing a carefully wrapped stack of bento boxes.

She held them out towards the three as they got to their feet, stretching away the nights stiffness.

"Here, eat up." she told them.

Naruto pounced on the food. The three sat down to eat with a thanks to the girl for the food. Aisa simply shrugged it away and continued eating her own food.

"This is good!" Naruto said.

"Glad you think so. I made it myself." Aisa told him.

The three looked up at the girl who seemed to have no trouble eating despite not being able to see the box in her hands.

"But how!?" Naruto asked.

Aisa grinned to herself. The girl actually grinned! Naruto had started to believe that the girl was too straight lance to know how to smile.

"There are a lot of things I can do, despite the blindness, Naruto. Don't doubt that. I told you, despite this thing, between my hearing, touch, and a jutsu of mine, I can build a picture accurate enough to get by." she told him.

Naruto wasn't sure he wanted to know what else she could do without her eyesight. Beside, he was too curious about something else to bother with that topic.

"Where'd you go?" Naruto asked.

"Somewhere." was the only answer Aisa gave him.

"How long have you been sitting here?" Yamato asked.

"Not long. Just an hour. I was starting to wonder when you three would wake up. You know it's not polite to keep a woman waiting." Aisa replied. "And are you aware that the three of you snore. Pretty badly too, in Naruto's case."

Kakashi and Yamato shared a long look. It was hard to tell if she was joking about the keeping a woman waiting part or the snoring part or not. Aisa didn't seem like the person to joke but who knew. She seemed to enjoy beating around the bush with Naruto.

"I don't snore." Naruto protested.

"You sound like a bear in the midst of hibernation, Naruto. I thought only big, burly men snore as awfully as you. Seems I was mistaken." Aisa replied.

Kakashi and Yamato chuckled to themselves as they watched the two.

"Then again I suppose it's better then Yamato who sounds like an old man with a snort." Aisa said suddenly, making Naruto burst out in laughter.

Yamato started protesting but Aisa wouldn't listen to his protest any more then Naruto's.

"Would it make you feel better if I said Kakashi whistle when he snores?" Aisa asked.

Kakashi fixed his eye on Aisa as Naruto and Yamato looked at him.

"Really!? Kakashi-sensei whistles!?" Naruto asked.

"Its horribly faint, but I could hear it." Aisa replied as she finished off the rest of her bento and tapped one ear. "Heightened sense of hearing, remember."

"So you just sat there and listened to us snore?" Yamato asked.

"I figured the three of you would wake up when I arrive, but you didn't. I wasn't going to wake you myself. That wouldn't have been nice after all the hard work that got put into training yesterday." she replied.

Sitting aside her bento box, Aisa hopped off the rock. Her hands went to her hips as she turned in their direction.

"Alright, so what have I missed?" she asked.

Naruto jumped into explaining to her how he mastered splitting the waterfall and now was working on adding a change in chakra nature to his Rasegan which already had a change in chakra shape. Aisa listened, her head tilted to one side as Naruto complained about how hard it was.

"Well of course it's hard. Whoever told you that inventing your own jutsu is easy, was a liar, Naruto." Aisa told him.

"Can you do it? Apply a change in chakra nature with a change in chakra shape?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, but it took me a long time to do it. You're learning a lot faster then I ever did. I had several failed attempts before I could." Aisa replied.

Naruto flew to his feet then in excitement. A white eyebrow shot up over the visor as he did, the girl's head tilting to the side.

"You can do it!?" he exclaimed.

"Yes. I apply a change in chakra nature to my Tornado Blade Jutsu which is already a change in chakra form. I can then switch the chakra nature of the jutsu between Wind, Fire, and Lightning." Aisa informed him.

"Show me!" Nartuo demanded.

Aisa's head tilted further to the side.

"Isn't that your sensei's job?" she asked.

Kakashi knew that if she could see, her eyes would be fixed on him at that moment. He could also tell by her tone that she was teasing Naruto again. Naruto wasn't putting up with it this time.

"Just show me." he told her.

One of those thin, white brows shot up again. Aisa's hands went to her hips and she cocked one hip to the side. The perfect picture of female stubbornness.

"Forgetting a word there?" she asked.

"Oh! Please?" Naruto added.

"Better. Just watch. By the time I'm done with you, you'll have proper manners." Aisa told him before turning to head away from them. "Maybe all of you will have some manners."

Yamato and Kakashi looked at each other, each thinking back. They couldn't think of a time when they hadn't been polite to her. Then again, Aisa's definition of the word "manners" might be different from their's.

"Aisa?" Naruto asked.

"Just sit down and watch." Aisa said, waving a hand over her shoulder.

As she walked, she preformed hand signs, her hands moving with a swiftness Kakashi had noticed when she had attacked them just days ago. When she reached a safe distance, her right foot slid back, her weight shifting to the left.

"Tornado Blade Jutsu."

Aisa spun then. Just like when she had fought them, a tornado of blade-sharp winds sprung up around her, hiding the girl from sight. Aisa moved with ease, popping free of the tornado, her hands already flying. One of her cheeks puffed out, as if filling with some kind of liquid. Much like with a Fire Ball Jutsu, she raised one hand to her mouth and blew through a circle formed by her fingers.

"Firestorm Jutsu."

The next tornado was a fastly spinning storm of flames that sprung forth from Aisa's pretty lips. Fire swallowed her whole. Just like with the last, Aisa pulled free of the spinning vortex, hands flying. The three watching males saw the spark of lightning around her before she moved into a spin.

"Lightning Vortex Jutsu."

The spinning vortex that jumped forth crackled with bolts of lightning. When Aisa stepped free of this tornado, all three fading as she released the jutsu, she was running fingers through her hair, laying flat strands that had begun to stand a little on end from the lightning. She had handled the rapid switch between change in nature easily. She had obvious had a lot of practice with the three jutsu. They were probably her most used. It would be a good defensive jutsu, the blade sharp walls of the tornado protecting her body with only one opening; over head.

An opening she would always be prepared for her enemy to take.

Aisa crossed her arms as she approached them.

"Wow, how did you master three changes in nature on one jutsu?" Naruto asked.

"An awful lot of practice and, in the case of the last two, a lot of burns and shocks. The first one was the easiest. After that, it got a little harder with each new change in nature. I've been working on adding a change in nature to Water, but its not as natural to me as Wind, Fire, and Lightning. Considering my clan's kekei genkai, Water should be easy for me. That and Lightning." Aisa remarked. "Then again, I've never been normal."

Aisa looked down, holding her hands out like she was trying to look at them, caught herself, and frowned as she lowered her hands. That told Kakashi that she hadn't been walking around with the visor blocking her vision for the majority of her life. Maybe a few years, if even that.

"You can't switch to Earth?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, sorry, not a natural nature for me." Aisa told him.

"But you're related to Grandma Tsunade! Wasn't the First Hokage her grandfather? He was good with Earth style. And you used an Earth style jutsu when you attacked us that first day!" Naruto protested.

Aisa heaved a sigh and shook her head.

"As I've already said, what makes you think I'm related to that side of her family? Besides, Naruto, I have my limits too. It took a lot of work just to master the three changes in nature I have. To add another...that would take a long time. I've been working on Water for two years now. If it's not natural, it's not natural." Aisa told him. "And the jutsu I used that day, was a different case. It was more of a...copy, then a conscious decision to learn a change in nature. My sensei just happened to be good with Earth style and a lot of what I know, was picked up from him. Just worry about your own."

Before Naruto could argue with the girl, she pointed out to the training field with a firm shake of her head. She was silently telling him to get back to work and leave her alone about her jutsu. Naruto grumbled, but did as told. Aisa shook her head as he walked away.

"How you manage to keep up with him, is beyond me. I must commend you, Hatake-san." Aisa said turning to Kakashi, even though she couldn't see him.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck. Naruto was a handful alright, but she seemed to be handling him easily enough. Kakashi, at this point, was more interested in Aisa. She understood hard work, but there were several things about her that had him a little weary of her. Perhaps if he went and talked to Tsunade, she would give him some information to go on. After all, if Aisa was going to be apart of Team Kakashi, then Kakashi had the right to know more about her shinobi life, at least.

Because it was obvious...Aisa wasn't going to tell him, herself.

END

Kyandi: Yhay, it was longer!

Aisa: You are easily amused.

Kyandi: And distracted! I've been working on this chapter for six hours!

Aisa: Sorry?

Kyandi: The occupants of my house need to be quiet!

Aisa: Well it is your house. Just tell them that.

Kyandi: I have. They don't listen.

Aisa: Well they're jerks then.

Kyandi: Yep! But everyone enjoy and review.

Aisa: We'll be back soon.

Kyandi: Bye!


	4. Learning From Mistakes

Kyandi: Hey everyone! I'm back with a new chapter for you!

Aisa: This one is a little longer than the rest.

Kyandi: Yep and I absolutely love Ihai!

Aisa: Everyone loves Ihai.

Kyandi: That's not true. Men don't.

Aisa: Well then that's their loss.

Kyandi: Sure it is. Everyone please enjoy and review.

Aisa: Kyandi-sama does not own Naruto.

Chapter 4 Learning From Mistakes

"Is something wrong, Kakashi?"

Tsunade looked up at Kakashi, who stood on the other side of her desk. The man was alone, having left Naruto in the capable hands of Yamato and Aisa for the moment. Aisa hadn't even cared when Kakashi suddenly said he needed to leave for a little while. She had simply waved a hand over her shoulder, seemingly focusing ahead of herself.

"It's not Aisa, is it? Please tell me she's not causing problems." Tsunade said, heaving a sigh as she rubbed at one temple.

Tsunade had automatically assumed that if there was an issue, then it had to be Aisa at the heart of it. That didn't really bode well to Kakashi. It made him even more weary of the white haired girl.

"Not exactly. I came to request more information on her, though. Something about her...just doesn't sit right with me." Kakashi told her.

Tsunade perked up, leaning forward to prop her elbows on the desk and link her hands together in front of her. There were a lot of things about Aisa that set people off and Tsunade knew it. The girl just let off that feeling of foreboding that had people's skin crawling just to have her near. It wasn't something the girl did consciously and she had been that way for as long as Tsunade had known her. It came with the abilities she had gained through her clan.

Abilities that scared the masses.

"What exactly do you want to know, Kakashi?" Tsunade asked.

"I would just like access to her shinobi records." Kakashi replied.

It wasn't an unreasonable request since Kakashi was the leader of the squad and Aisa was now apart of the team.

"There is only one problem with that...there are no records on Aisa."

Kakashi stared at Tsunade in shock. Every shinobi, from the moment they entered the academy, to the time they died, had records. Even the Anbu black ops had records. It was part of how the Hokage kept up with them. If Aisa was a Jōnin of the Leaf, then there should be records on her. That there wasn't, didn't make sense.

"Every shinobi has records." Kakashi said.

"Not Aisa. She didn't become a shinobi of the Leaf Village, the normal way. She was trained and promoted in secret. A Hokage secret, only to be used in times of dire situations. With the Akatsuki on the move, I thought now was one of those dire situations. Because of this, there are no records on Aisa. But I can tell you anything you want to know. Within reason." Tsunade replied.

Kakashi was...well shocked. Aisa, though she was an exceptional shinobi, didn't seem like much. She had her draw backs just like any other shinobi. That she had purposely blinded herself, only added to those disadvantages.

"A Hokage secret? Why? She's strong, but she's still just a kid." Kakashi replied.

"Kakashi, that kid, in a course of a month, will be twenty-one."

Kakashi remembered Aisa saying she was older than Naruto but he hadn't been able to see Aisa as being much older. Maybe a year or two, but not four or five. Aisa still looked like she was fifteen.

"And she has...special abilities. A special mix of jutsu. She started showing potential at six. It was around that period that she caught the Third's attention. Aisa was very...uncontrollable back then. Her actions were more feral, her attitude a lot worse, and her control of her kekei genkai horrible. She hurt herself just about as much as she hurt those around her." Tsunade told him.

Sounded like a self-destructive child. The Aisa he saw now was nothing like that. Yes she had a bit of an attitude but she seemed over all calmer, more steady, and far more confident than the child Tsunade was describing to him.

"She's so different now." he remarked.

"I've noticed. She's become a splendid young woman and kunochi. But there was a reason to her madness, per say. Aisa lost everything precious to her at that age. To continue on in a world that took everything dear to her...it was unthinkable to her. She destroyed everything around her, became a menace. Her fits of rage could level a squad of Jōnin in the matter of seconds, but it would leave her so tired and out of chakra afterward. She had no sense of chakra control then. For two years that's all she did. She ran when shinobi came after her. Would never harm them. Well...not as long as they were wearing the symbol of the Leaf. If any others came after her, she wasn't so inclined not to hurt them."

Aisa?

Noroi Aisa had caused that much trouble and damage between the ages of six and eight? It wasn't impossible for a child that young to have the ability to do it. Kakashi himself had reached Chūnin at the age six. But from the sounds of it, Aisa had only had power then, not control. She had harmed herself and had exhausted herself in the process. All because she had lost what she held dearest to her. It was something that Kakashi could understand. It wasn't easy to lose what you loved the most at that age.

"What changed that?" Kakahis asked.

"Aisa changed herself. At the age of nine, she realized that the path she had started to pave for herself would only end in her own destruction and she didn't want that for various reasons. She blinded herself, donning her visor, and started training herself in control, continuing the lessons her sensei had started to teach her. When the next squad of shinobi came after her with the Third's order to bring her in, she didn't fight. He saw her potential but knew to publicly introduce her to the village wouldn't be smart. Aisa still wasn't...sociable. So she was trained and promoted in secret, away from the village." Tsunade explained.

Aisa had corrected herself. Saw her own mistakes and had corrected them. She was smarter than he gave her credit for. But that still didn't explain the feeling he was getting from Aisa. It made his skin crawl. Especially when she focused her attention on him.

"She spent some of that time with me and Shizune, so she knows enough medical ninjutsu to help in a pinch, but not much. She's always focused more on perfecting and refining her own jutsus. Pushing her limits to see how much she can expand them. She works hard, Kakashi, and she's clever. When I became Hokage she swore her services to me and me alone." Tsunade told him.

"She trust you." Kakashi remarked.

"Yes. And she'll trust those I trust. She fights hard to complete her missions, trains harder, knows a lot about the world around her, and though she's still a little anti-social, she's the best to have at your back. But let me guess...she gives you a strange feeling that has your skin crawling. Right?"

Kakashi looked up, fixing his gaze on Tsunade. She had just hit the nail right on the head. It was almost like he wasn't the first to have the feeling around the white haired kunochi. He nodded.

"Everyone experiences that. It's something about Aisa, just a feeling she gives off. She doesn't do it consciously. I'm not even sure she realizes how uncomfortable she makes those around her feel. But to be fair and honest, everyone in her clan gives people that feeling. They were bred for intimidation." she assured him.

"And her clan and kekei genkai?" Kakashi asked.

"Now that I can't tell you."

Kakashi's back went a little straighter, his eye narrowing. Tsunade met his gaze over her folded hands before shifting to sit back in her chair.

"Part of the deal between Aisa and I, was that I could give out some information-stats, a little back history, strengths, ability levels, so on-but when it came to her clan and her kekei genkai, I can't say a word. If she wants to tell you, that's her business. I can't."

So when it came to the one piece of information he really could use, Kakashi would have to go to the source to get the answer. He knew, instantly, that that wouldn't be easy. Aisa didn't seem like the sharing kind. Not when it came to personal history. But at least now he knew that the feeling he got from her wasn't something she was purposely trying to do.

"Is that all, Kakashi?" Tsunade asked.

For now, it would be. Aisa had the full support and backing of the Hokage. He couldn't find anything wrong with her.

Just then there was a knock on the door. Kakashi turned as Tsunade called for the person to enter. The door opened to reveal Aisa, herself. She paused at the door as she got her bearings of the room. Her head turned towards Kakashi, though, if she had been trying to set eyes on him, she was a little too far to his left.

"Hatake-san?" she said in surprise.

"What is it, Aisa?" Tsunade asked, before Kakashi could say anything.

Aisa straightened herself then, reaching into the pouch on the back of her belt to remove a scroll. The seal on the scroll was a tear shaped mark with a swirling pattern in it. Kakashi has seen the seal before, but couldn't place his finger on it. Aisa held up the scroll.

"I just received this. It's the...information you asked me for." Aisa told her.

"Perfect. Bring it here." Tsunade told her, holding out her hand.

Aisa stepped forward, stopping in front of the desk to set the scroll in Tsunade's hand. She didn't pay Kakashi much attention until after she handed over the scroll.

"I apologize for interrupting the two of you." Aisa said, giving Kakashi a polite bow of her head.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck as he assured her that it was fine. He had his answers from Tsunade. Though he honestly couldn't link the Aisa he saw before him with the child Tsunade had told him about. Then again, no one would be able to link the man he was now to the child he had been back when he had been on the same squad as Obito and Rin. People changed.

In Aisa's case, she had changed a lot.

"It's fine, Aisa. Kakashi and I are done. You both can go." Tsunade told them.

The two nodded to Tsunade and left the room together. Kakashi walked on Aisa's left, his eye straying to her as they walked. Looking at her from this angle he could see a scar just peeking over the wire mess at her neck. It started just under the left side of her jaw and slashed straight downward, vanishing beneath the mess. There was another, a small, barely visible, one on her left shoulder.

Then his gaze landed on something else that he hadn't noticed before. Lost among the silky sea of white, was a single, thin, nearly invisible streak of blood red hair. She hid it by tucking it behind her ear where the sheer mass of her hair took over hiding it. Kakashi had the urge to reach out and pull it out of it's hiding place.

"Again, I apologize for interrupting you and Tsuna-nee."

Aisa speaking, snapped him out of staring at that red streak of hair. He fixed his gaze on her face instead. Aisa had her head tilted towards him, her face half turned.

"It's fine. I thought you were with Naruto and Yamato." Kakashi replied.

"Naruto is still training. When I received the scroll, I had to come here. Yamato is doing just fine with him. Far better than I ever could. I don't have what it takes to be a sensei." Aisa replied.

Kakashi watched her out of the side of his eye. She didn't seem upset by that, so much as she was just stating a fact.

"I don't know about that. I thought the same thing at first." Kakashi replied.

"And look at you now. Only one team has ever passed your test." Aisa replied.

Kakashi could swear he heard amusement in her tone but when he looked at her, her mouth was still in it's straight line. Did the girl ever smile?

"Tsuna-nee gave me the files of your whole team before I agreed to the position. To be perfectly honest, I can understand your reasoning behind your test. I've never really been apart of a team, but when it comes to battles in which you have a team, being able to work seamlessly with them is necessary for success." she remarked.

Sadly, not a lot of people saw it that way. That Aisa, someone who had never had a team, could see it, just showed how blind a lot of people could be. Ironic since Aisa was blind.

"Anyway, it doesn't really matter. I had never planned to be a sensei. My own sensei said I didn't have the patience for it and I trust his opinion over all others'." Aisa added.

Kakashi looked down at her. Her sensei, huh? Tsunade hadn't mentioned a sensei in her telling of Aisa's past. In fact, Tsunade hadn't given him any definite details. It was probably another part of her deal with Aisa.

"You never know. People change as they get older." he told her.

"Huh...you have a point there. But I can't say I have changed since my student days."

He would beg to differ. If she really had been like Tsunade had described her, then she had changed a lot. But since he hadn't been there himself, he couldn't say if that was true or not. He didn't know what to say to her after that.

"We should return to the training field." Kakashi said instead.

"True. But it's lunch time. I have box lunches waiting at my place. We can stop by and pick them up. Naruto needs to keep his strength up to finish this training." she replied.

Kakashi didn't argue with her, letting her lead the way once they exited the building. Aisa's apartment was located on the edged of a less populated area of the village. The two story building housed a shop on the first floor, run by an old woman who greeted Aisa cheerful from the front doorway.

"Aisa-chan! I just made a pot of tea. Would you and your friend like some?" the old lady called.

"No thank you, Hanarami-san. We're just stopping by to pick up some box lunches from my apartment and then its back to training." Aisa replied.

The woman smiled brightly.

"Well then, I have something for you to take with you. Hold on just a second, dear." she said before vanishing into her shop.

The woman came back with a basket in her hands. A handkerchief was draped over the top but Kakashi could still smell the fresh baked sweets concealed inside. She handed the basket over to Aisa who bowed gratefully and respectfully to the old woman.

"Thank you, Hanarami-san. If you ever need help in your shop on my days off, please don't hesitate to ask." Aisa told her.

"Oh, dear, I could never ask such a thing of a hard working kunochi. Just keep trying hard." the woman told Aisa, patting her on the cheek.

Aisa waved to her as she returned to her shop. Cradling the basket in her arms, Aisa turned and led the way up the stairs. Kakashi followed, surprised by how well Aisa had gotten along with the old woman when Aisa hadn't even lived in the apartment for long and had been home even less. At the top of the stairs a landing opened up with only one door on it. Aisa unlocked the door and let Kakashi in.

The inside of Aisa's apartment was simple, but colorful. Paintings showing colorful scenes of forests, plants, and stretches of beautiful landscape, hung on the walls, while rugs of red, white, blue, and black designs covered the floors. Small trinkets sat on shelves in the living room, bookshelves spanning two walls. Books were stacked on top of tables and the center most table in the living room was lined with weapons and equipment for cleaning and fixing them. Aisa was obviously in the middle of working on them and had stopped to help with Naruto.

A small dog bed with a soft blanket and a chew toy hanging half out of it played home to a small grey puppy with white paws and a red scarf around it's neck. On the scarf was the same tear drop shaped mark Kakashi had noticed on the seal of the scroll Aisa had given Tsunade. When Aisa walked by, the puppy opened it's big blue eyes and woofed at her. Aisa sat the basket of sweets on the bar that separated the living room from the kitchen and turned to a shelf to her left, running her fingers over boxes until she pulled down a box of dog food which she poured into a silver bowl by the dog bed. The puppy leaped out of the bed, wagging it's tail and instantly dug in.

Kakashi scanned the area around him quickly, though his gaze went back to Aisa as she reached out and scratched the dog's ears. He hadn't really taken her as a dog person. She seemed more like a cat person to him. Aisa straightened, replacing the box before turning in Kakashi's direction.

"Please make yourself comfortable. I'll only be a moment." she told him, gesturing towards the couch in the living room before turning towards the kitchen.

A painting of a waterfall hung over the doorway to the kitchen, the water a splash of bright blues and white with bright pink, red, and blue flowers blooming in the undergrowth of the forest around it.

"These paintings...they're so colorful." Kakashi remarked.

"Oh, really? And I thought I was using muted tones when I painted them." Aisa replied from the kitchen.

Kakashi stopped for a moment, blinking in confusion before he turned to look at her through the window way over the bar.

"You painted them?" he asked.

"A long time ago. Before this." Aisa said, tapping the visor. "My mother loved painting and she had taught me as a small child. Ironic that she taught me the art of colors while my father taught me the art of war."

Ironic, yes, but a apart of the shinobi life none the less. But Aisa really was a wonderful painter. It was a shame she could no longer see to do so. The world had lost a talent then. And she sounded so wistful about it.

"If you miss painting, why did you blind yourself?" he asked.

Usually he didn't pry. He normally didn't have to, but so many things about Aisa just weren't lining up. And he was curious. Aisa paused in stacking the box lunches she had prepared, but it was only for a second before her hands were moving once more.

"It was a my way of bringing about change in my life. As well as a way to limit myself." she told him.

She picked up the boxes, carrying them to another counter where she tied them together to make them easier to carry.

"Limit yourself? Most shinobi wouldn't do that." Kakashi remarked.

"Yes well...I'm not most shinobi. I don't know if Tsuna-nee told you, but when I was younger I caused a lot of damage. I let my abilities get out of hand and I hurt a lot of innocent people. I always felt sorry about it but that wouldn't change the damage already done. I was determined not to do it again. So until I am sure I have control, limiting myself is a must." Aisa told him.

Kakashi watched her work. She was still young, even at twenty, but she wasn't stupid. She knew right from wrong and was trying to better herself for the sake of those around her. In some ways, Aisa and Naruto were similar. Determined, strong, and brave. In other ways, he could see himself in her, in her end to change herself for the better.

Silence stretched between them and was only broken when the puppy decided that Kakashi's unmoving foot was a good pouncing target. Tiny, sharp teeth bit into Kakashi's ankle, drawing his attention down to the puppy, who growled playfully.

"He just bit you, didn't he? Ihai, down boy." Aisa said, her head coming up.

The puppy released Kakashi and jumped back, crouching down to wag his little read end in the end as he eyed Kakashi. It was amusing to watch the puppy who thought he was bigger then he was. Kakashi's hounds would have ate the small puppy for breakfast.

Aisa came out of the kitchen and scooped the puppy up in her arms. Instantly the puppy's white tipped tail started to wag as he wiggled around to lick Aisa's cheek and snuggle into her arms.

"I'm sorry about that. Ihai is overly playful. No matter how much exercise he gets, he still has the energy to playfully attack people." Aisa said.

"No, it's fine. I have hounds of my own." he told her.

"Yes, but I bet they're ninja hounds, aren't they? Ihai hasn't finished his trainging yet. He's still just a pup and refuses to leave my side. Getting him to stay home when I leave is hard." Aisa said.

Kakashi reached out and scratched the puppy's ears. The puppy seemed to like it...for all but a second and then he clamped those tiny, sharp teeth down on Kakashi's finger. Kakashi pulled his hand back, looking at the bleeding finger while the puppy woofed and wagged his tail like he had done a good job.

"Oh, did I forget to mention he's not fond of men?" Aisa asked.

She could have mentioned that earlier. It would have saved him a bleeding finger. The girl gave Ihai a flick on the nose. It was a soft flick but the puppy's ears instantly sagged, his tail stopped wagging, and he whimpered.

"What have I told you about biting? Only when either I give you the signal or when you see me in danger. I'm not in danger." Aisa told the puppy, turning to deposit the puppy on his bed.

Ihai whimpered, his head dropping. Kakashi would give the puppy one thing...it did a remorseful act pretty well. But Aisa wasn't buying it. She shook a finger at the puppy.

"That's the second man you've bitten since we've been here. We're going to have to increase your training." Aisa told the puppy.

The dog flopped down on his bed as if he was saying, "Oh come on!". Now **that** was funny. Aisa turned away from the dog and faced Kakashi.

"It's not bleeding badly, is it?" she asked.

Kakashi looked over the two bites. The one to the ankle wasn't even bleeding. The finger though would have to be cleaned and bandaged. Aisa leaned forward, sniffing as if she could smell the blood on his hand.

"I'll get some bandages for you. After all, it was my dog." she told him.

Kakashi didn't have time to argue with her before she vanished down a short hallway and into a bedroom there. She came back with a first aid kit. Taking his hand into hers, she cleaned and bandaged the injury. For someone who couldn't see, her hands moved swiftly and expertly. But her hands were cold to the touch, as if she never got enough blood flow to her fingers. When the bandage was secured, Aisa stepped back.

"I'm sure Ihai is sorry for his behavior. Right?" Aisa said, turning to face the dog, who whimpered.

Aisa completely, without a doubt, utterly had that puppy whipped.

Kakashi had a feeling that any man Aisa had would be just as whipped.

"If he keeps this up, he won't be able to go on missions with me." Aisa added as she headed back to the kitchen.

Ihai whimpered again and sagged completely into his bed with a defeated look. Yeah, the dog was totally whipped. Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck. He almost felt bad for the poor dog. Aisa came back out of the kitchen with the basket of sweets looped over her arm and the box lunches stacked in her arms. Kakashi offered to help, taking the lunches with her.

"Ihai, be good." Aisa told her puppy before they left.

As they walked through the neighbor Aisa lived in, which was made up mostly of elderly people, people greeted her. Aisa waved to them.

"You get along well with the people here, despite the little time you've been here." Kakashi remarked.

"I've always gotten along with older people. I spent most of my time, when I was little, with my mother's parents. My grandfather was actually my sensei." Aisa replied, a fond smile curving her lips.

So she could smile. He had started to wonder if she was able to. Kakashi was starting to realize that the more he talked to her, the less Aisa seemed like dangerous child Tsunade had told him about. He was starting to wonder if Aisa had ever really been that way. Then again, she had admitted herself that she had caused a lot of damage and harm. It was hard to tell which one was the real Aisa.

The girl who was kind and respectful to her elders and who loved to paint or the hardened shinobi who had destroyed things in her quest to get back at the world for what had been taken from her.

He would find out sooner or later.

-0-0-0-0-

"Kakashi-sensei, what happened to your finger?"

Aisa sat the basket of sweets she had been carrying next to Yamato, encouraging him to take one. Kakashi looked from his bandaged finger to Aisa who ducked her head like she was trying to hide a smile. When she raised her head again though, her mouth was in it's normal straight line.

"I have a puppy at home that I'm training to be my companion on missions. He doesn't really like men and when Hatake-san scratched his ears, he bit him." Aisa explained.

"Esh! I don't want to meet your dog." Naruto told her.

At this Naruto finally succeed in drawing a smile out of the girl. Though it was a small one, her lips still tilted up in amusement. Naruto and Yamato stared at her and, as if she could sense their stares, she cleared her throat, wiping the smile from her face.

"Anyway, we brought lunch and the woman who runs the shop under my apartment sent sweets. So enjoy." Aisa told them, taking a seat and opening her own lunch.

The men didn't argue. Not that Naruto would turn down a free meal. Aisa remained quiet through the meal, Naruto burning through a few topics before finally settling on the bloodline traits of old clans in the Leaf. Aisa perked up, listening closely.

"The Hyuuga Clan and the Uchiha Clan are the oldest in the village, right?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, but there was one other, wasn't there?" Kakashi said, trying to think.

"That's right. It was a clan that was later exiled from the village." Yamato told him.

"Exiled? Why?" Naruto asked.

"I don't really-"

"It was the Chirura Clan." Aisa said, cutting Yamato off.

All three males turned to look at her as she sat down her empty box and laid her chopsticks on top of it. She then folded her hands in her lap.

"My family lived near the territory the Chirura Clan claimed as their own after being exiled from the village, so I know quite a bit about them." Aisa said.

"Why did they get kicked out of the village?" Naruto asked.

"Well, to answer that, you have to know the history of the clan." Aisa replied.

Naruto remained silent, staring at Aisa, waiting for her to continue and tell him about the clan. Aisa raised an eyebrow but heaved a sigh.

"The Chirura Clan was a clan of...well monsters. Back in the Great Shinobi War, before the village was founded, the clan didn't fight on one side or the other, but rather sold their services to whatever side could pay the most at the time. And their services were well sought after." Aisa explained.

"Why?" Naruto questioned.

"Like I said. They were a clan of monsters. A clan that raised all its members to be blood thirsty, to crave conflict and destruction. Every member was born with red hair and eyes, because the clan believed in marrying among the clan. Usually cousins married cousins but sometimes it was closer. A practice that is looked down on for a reason. And then there was their kekei genkai which was...frightening to say the least."

"What was it? Was it like Sasuke's Sharingan?" Naruto asked.

"Oh no," Aisa said, shaking her head. "The Chirura Clan's kekei genkai made use of their very blood and the blood of their fallen enemies, manipulating it. With that they could defend or attack, ripping their opponents to shreds. But that wasn't all. The clan, itself, was known as a clan of devourers because using their kekei genkai...they were able to drain an opponent of their blood as well as their chakra. They **literally** devoured their enemies."

Naruto gulped, his eyes going wide. Kakashi and Yamato had heard of the clan before, but only in passing. No one had seen hide or hair of the clan in years, decades even. There had, about fifteen or sixteen years ago, been a rumor that the clan was preparing to attack the village, but then all signs of the clan vanished once more.

"I lived close to the clan, as I said, and sometimes I saw some of the members. My mother was very clear that I was to run if ever I saw one. They were...cruel and brutal. When I was little the head of the clan was a man name Murako. Murako had only one son, but unlike with the rest of the children of the clan, his son, Hametsu, didn't crave the blood and destruction the rest of the clan did. He didn't want to follow his father's orders and had it set in his head that when he took over as head of the clan, things were going to change. Hametsu met a young woman then, from outside the clan, and, as my mother told me, fell in love. They had a child and for a while, were able to hide their relationship and the child from Murako. But some secrets can't stay buried."

Aisa completely had Naruto's attention by now. Even Kakashi and Yamato were captured by the story.

"What happened?" Yamato asked.

"Murako found out about the child. In the Chirura clan, if one of the child's parents is not of the clan, then they are deemed lower then trash, a waste of space and perfectly good blood and the clan was...possessive of it's blood. Considering it's kekei genkai centered around their blood, it was understandable. Every child born of a union not completely Chirura...was slaughtered."

"But how could they tell!?" Naruto asked.

"Children of that clan, who aren't fully Chirura, don't have red hair and eyes. Something about the genes." Aisa answered.

"So Murako killed his own grandchild?" Yamato asked.

"Oh no. Since the child was the only flesh and blood of his son, who had broken some of the major laws of the clan, Murako made an example out of the child. He had his son, the child, the child's mother and her family, all rounded up and, in front of the clan, branded the child with the crest of every clan who's blood ran through the child's veins. Then he killed the child's parents and it's mother's parents." Aisa said.

"His own son!?" Naruto said in shock.

Aisa nodded sadly.

"And the kid?" Naruto asked.

"The child woken the kekei genkai of the Chirura clan and...killed all of those there. You see the only sure fire way to battle a Chirura...is with another Chirura. Even at a young age, with the child's anger leading it, it was feral enough to rip through the clan and then vanished."

Silence met Aisa, the males staring at her. In the shinobi world it wasn't unheard of for a child to pop up now and then that could deal the damage Aisa described. And in the rage and grief filled moment the child had gone through, with the blood of that clan in their veins, it wasn't surprising that the child had killed those around them.

"So the kid killed the whole clan?" Naruto asked.

"I wouldn't say that. I'm sure there were a few that escaped. It's hard for one child, or even one adult, to completely wipe out a clan. And there was bound to be a few other half breeds like the child, hidden out there from the clan. No, I'm sure a few members remain. They're just hiding." Aisa replied.

"And the kid?" Kakashi asked.

"No idea. This was years ago. I was still just a child myself. For all anyone knows, the child could have left this nation completely." Aisa asked.

"That's just...awful." Naruto said.

"Things like that happen all the time, sadly. But it molds people into the great shinobi they become, whether its from the need to stop such things, or the need to protect others from it, or simply...a need for vengeance." Aisa told him.

The sad thing was...Aisa was right. They could wish for it to be different, but that wouldn't make it so. Everyone was shaped by their past. Naruto, Sasuke, even Kakashi. It was what made them who they were that day.

"That's stupid!" Naruto told her.

"Perhaps. But Naruto, think about it. Everyone is shaped by the events of their past. Can you honestly say that your past had no affect on who you today?" Aisa asked.

Naruto thought about it and, seeing her point, pouted, not saying a word. Aisa took that to mean he conceded to her point.

"People change because of things they experience. Whether that is for the better or the worst is up to the individual in question. From what Tsuna-nee told me, your friend Sasuke chose for the worst. He chose vengeance over everything else. That doesn't necessarily make him bad-everyone makes mistakes-but its what shaped him into the shinobi he is today. Even in my case, it's true. My past changed me too. I can't say if it was for the better or worst, but I can say that without the event of days passed, I would not be who I am now." Aisa told him.

Naruto deflated as he really comprehended her point. The world wasn't always good, wasn't always positive. People had to take the bad with it and keep trying anyway. He knew that. Had his whole life. Aisa knew it too.

"Everyone has a reason to change, Naruto. Just remember that." Aisa told him.

Naruto looked up at her. He had forgotten all about his food at this point.

"And you? Why did you change?" he asked.

Aisa fell silent, thinking of the best way to phrase her next sentence. Her head tilted to the side as she considered it.

"Because I was scared."

Kakashi turned to look at her fully. None of them had been expecting that kind of answer. But the raw truth in her voice was hard to miss.

"Scared? Of what?" Naruto asked.

"Myself."

The answer was quick, without hesitation...and completely confused Naruto.

"What?" Naruto questioned.

"I made a lot of mistakes, Naruto, caused a lot of trouble and harm, but I realized those mistakes and what I had become...and it scared me. So I changed myself. I didn't want to be the monster I saw in the mirror anymore. I was determined not to repeat the same mistakes and sometimes...that kind of resolve is all it takes to make a difference." Aisa explained.

Another of Aisa's rare smile spread of her face and even though Kakashi couldn't see part of her face, he couldn't help thinking it was the prettiest smile had had ever seen.

"The point is not to become someone **everyone else** wants you to be. It's to become the person **you** want to be. If you are comfortable with yourself, love yourself, others will as well. That is what my sensei, my grandfather, taught me. No matter what mistake you make, you can always fix it, if you're will to work hard enough for it. I'm sure that child, wherever they are, is working very hard to change who they are." Aisa said confidently.

"Hmm...you're really smart." Naruto told her.

"Not really. I've just learned from my mistakes. I've certainly made quite a few. Not everything, or everyone you see is as they seem, Naruto. I was ignorant of that when I was younger. But, ironically, I'm not blind anymore. I suppose sometimes it takes actually being blind, to see the truth."

With that Aisa pushed herself to her feet, dusting off her clothes as she did.

"We really should get back to training now that we ate." Aisa said.

Naruto jumped to his feet, agreeing with her. Yamato scrambled after Naruto as he took off. Aisa on the other hand, bent and gathered the boxes. Kakashi helped her.

"I think you've really given him some food for thought." Kakashi told her.

"Really? Naruto doesn't seem like the type to learn from lectures, but from action. I could talk his ear off and I doubt I would get very far." Aisa replied, standing up straight once she had all of the boxes in her arms.

"That's certainly true." Kakashi replied with a chuckle.

"Hey, I think that's the first time I've heard a chuckle out of you." Aisa pointed out.

Was it? Kakashi didn't think he had laughed since she arrived. At least not when she was around, so he supposed it was the first time. Aisa tilted her head back as if she was trying to look up at him.

"I like the sound. Reminds me of my father's laugh." Aisa remarked.

Kakashi stared at her in surprise. Catching what she had just said, she cleared her throat, her back going straight. She turned away from him then, reaching down to snag the basket on the ground. She snatched at air the first time, but caught the handle of the basket the second time.

"Forget I said that." she said before joining Yamato.

If Kakashi wasn't mistaken, that was a blush on her face. At least Aisa was capable of acting like an actual girl. It was kind of...cute. Kakashi chuckled as he followed her. Seeing her blush made getting bit by her puppy perfectly okay.

END

Kyandi: That puppy is so adorable!

Aisa: Hatake-san might disagree.

Kyandi: Oh well. I like him and that's all that matters.

Aisa: Of course.

Kyandi: And I wrote most of this while listening to and watching a parody on youtube for Sword Art Online.

Aisa: Yes and randomly laughing at that while staring at your computer screen is not creepy at all.

Kyandi: Is that sarcasm?

Aisa: Nooooo... *nods*

Kyandi: Whatever. Everyone enjoy and review.

Aisa: We'll be back as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye, bye!


	5. Growing Closer

Kyandi: Hey everyone. Sorry I took me so long. I have a lot of projects going and my attention is horribly split at the moment.

Aisa: She writes as her muse hits.

Kyandi: Right. If I get the sudden muse and urge to write on a story, then I'll write on it until I get muse for another.

Aisa: We do apologize for the long wait though.

Kyandi: So we'll just go ahead and jump into the chapter.

Aisa: Right.

Kyandi: Everyone, enjoy and review.

Aisa: Kyandi-sama does not own Naruto.

Chapter 5 Growing Closer

Half way through the first day of Naruto trying to add the change to Wind nature, it started to rain. Aisa, who had taken the bento boxes and basket back to her apartment, had come back with an umbrella. While Kakashi, Naruto, and Yamato dealt with the rain, she remained mostly dry under the umbrella. Kakashi noticed though, that whatever jutsu she used to replace her sight, was affected by the rain. She had a harder time finding her way around and there had been a frown on her face since the rain had started.

To their amusement, she had even ran into a tree on her way back.

Naruto kept at his practice, the three older shinobi watching. There were several times when one of the clones would go kyuubi and Yamato would have to step in to stop it before it got out of hand. As they watched, yet another clone went kyuubi and Naruto yelled for help from Yamato.

"Tenzou, it's coming." Kakashi warned.

Yamato reacted quickly, taking down the clone, leaving Naruto sitting on the ground. Kakashi appeared in front of Naruto then.

"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto's only reply was a pout. He was obviously not happy with how his training was going. Aisa remained beside Yamato, shielded under her umbrella. She understood how frustrating it was when working on a new jutsu. It drove her up the wall when a new jutsu just wouldn't work out properly.

"Since we entered the training to add "Wind Manipulation" to the Rasengan, it's been one whole day...using approximately 200 Shadow Clones. If we sum up the hours of training as one person, it's 4,800 hours...still no where near enough." Kakashi remarked.

"But this training...the chakra control is so difficult. The 200 Shadow Clones is the max." Naruto replied. "It feels like I'll never be able to do it. To begin with, creating the Rasengan takes a ton of concentration. And then to add Nature Manipulation on top of that is impossible."

"You're giving up so easily. It's not like you. Are you sure you're the Uzumaki Naruto that I know?" Kakashi asked.

"But...just this time...it's impossible." Naruto argued.

"You still have to do it." Kakashi told him.

"When you're looking right and you're told to look left at the same time, can you do it, Kakashi-sensei!?" Naruto snapped.

Even Yamato thought that that was impossible. Kakashi didn't think it was. Aisa let out a little "Ah!" that made Yamato look up at her. Her eyebrows had shot up like something had suddenly dawned on her.

"What was that noise for?" Yamato asked her.

"It's not so impossible for a shinobi to look two ways at once." Aisa replied. "If you want to go about it in an off handed way."

Yamato looked up at her in surprise, raising an eyebrow at her. Not that Aisa could see it. Despite not being able to see him, she pointed at Kakashi, as if that would answer the question for him.

"Watch. I believe Hatake-san just had the same idea as me." she told him.

Sure enough, Kakashi did. Using a clone, Kakashi showed that it was possible to look both right and left at the same time. It was a bit of a sarcastic reply to Naruto's remark, which spoke volumes about Aisa since she had thought of it as well. The display, though, managed to give Naruto an idea on now to proceed with his training. Using two clones, instead of one, Naruto actually managed to start actually figuring out how to get the change in nature as well.

"Ahh, so that's what you meant. Makes sense...you learned how to use the Rasengan by using a clone to take care of the shape manipulation while you released the chakra. And this is an extension of that technique." Kakashi said.

"It's a rather clever idea if you have the chakra to spare." Aisa remarked, approaching Kakashi.

"Right! I just needed a second clone to handle the nature manipulation. I can't look look left and right at the same time, by myself, but I can have two clones each look one way! All you have to do is split the job up into smaller pieces." Naruto said.

"So my little joke earlier actually helped you out?" Kakashi asked.

"Only someone like Naruto could have the chakra and jutsu to pull off something like this. I most certainly couldn't no matter the amount of practice I put in." Aisa remarked.

Kakashi agreed with her. He couldn't do it either and he doubted even the Fourth could have done it when he was alive. It was a massive work load and Naruto handled it surprisingly well.

"No less from the Leaf's number 1 surprising ninja, eh Naruto? I gotta say...I really like you now." Kakashi told Naruto.

Aisa was surprised when Naruto lost his concentration long enough that the jutsu he had been working on, blew up in his face, wiping his clones out with him. She simply tightened her grip on her umbrella so it wouldn't be blown away by the wind that the small explosion kicked up.

"Don't say weird shit like that, you friggin idiot! I finally got the jutsu and your creepy ass threw me off!" Naruto snapped.

"Uhh...I didn't mean it like that...I'm trying to s-"

"Back off!" Nartuo yelled at Kakashi, cutting him off as he tried to approach him.

"I don't get it." Aisa said, tilting her head to the side in a confused manner.

She thought about it for a moment, trying to think of why Naruto had reacted the way he had. To her there was no reason for him to have worked that way. All Kakashi had done was say that he really liked Naruto...And then, it came to her.

"Ohhhh...that is creepy, Hatake-san." Aisa said, making Kakashi turn to look at her.

"That's not what I meant." Kakashi insisted, but Aisa was already shaking her head, her long white hair swinging back and forth.

He tried to explain it to both her and Naruto, but neither were listening. Aisa, though, was doing it more out of teasing than any real belief that he had meant it the way it had come out. It took Kakashi a second, but he finally realized that she teasing. It surprised him to find out that someone like Aisa could actually have a teasing side. Suddenly Aisa perked up and turned back towards Yamato.

"Someone's coming." she said simply.

Sure enough, another shinobi showed up a few moments later. He spoke lowly to Yamato for a moment before Yamato turned to them.

"Kakashi! We have to stop training and return to the village right now!" Yamato called.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked.

Yamato had a sad look on his face as he faced the three. Aisa could feel the sadness coming from him from where she was standing. When Yamato spoke, she understood why.

"Saturobi Asuma-san...has passed away."

-0-0-0-0-

Aisa, since she didn't know Asuma, didn't go to the funeral services. She stood on the balcony outside her living room, hands on the rail as she let the wind play through her long hair. Naruto, Kakashi, and Yamato had been so upset. She felt it coming off of them in waves. Not being able to see, she had learned, a long time ago to be able to read the emotions of those around her from the feelings she got from them. It wasn't perfect, far from it, but normally, she wasn't wrong. She didn't think she was this time.

Losing friends, loved ones, was difficult. No one ever handled it well because it always hurt. Aisa understood that. But for a shinobi...death as natural as breathing. Everyone died sooner or later, but ninjas took that risk at a higher rate. Just being in a shinobi's family could some times increase that chance. Aisa's own mother had found that out the hard way.

Even this far from the burial grounds, she could almost swear she heard the crying of those close to the deceased. She knew it was her own imagination. By now, the funeral services would be over. Aisa wondered what would be appropriate for a teammate to do at a time like this. She had never been a part of a team before and didn't know what would be the proper way for her to act. Asuma, she had been told, was a close friend of Kakashi's and was well liked by many, including Naruto and Sakura.

Should Aisa try to comfort them, or give them space?

She wasn't sure.

Aisa heaved a sigh and bent forward to fold her arms over the rail, letting the wind play across the uncovered parts of her face and into her hair. The sounds of the busy streets around her, reached her ears. She could hear the old woman, Hanarami, down in her shop, handling a customer that had come in. Aisa was more focused on her thoughts than that. She knew she had a visitor the moment they breached the personal boundries of her home. Ihai barked, a low growl sounding from his throat as he came running out onto the balcony.

"He doesn't like me, does he?"

Aisa didn't turn to face the man now standing on the rail just a few feet from her. Her lips twitched as if she was fighting off a smile.

"Ihai doesn't really care for males being around me. Its nothing against you personally." she told him, turning to usher Ihai back inside, closing the door once he was. "Do you need something, Hatake-san?"

Kakashi, grateful that she had shut Ihai back into her apartment, stepped off the rail, landing lightly on her balcony. There was a table sitting on the balcony with a few chairs settled around it. He approached the table and set down the box in his arms.

"I picked these up from the shop downstairs. I thought you would like some." he told her.

Aisa turned to him, one white eyebrow rocketing up in questioning. Today, since they hadn't been training, Kakashi found Aisa in a simple, sleeveless, high necked, black dress that fell to about mid-thigh length. Without all of the mesh armor, Kakashi was able to see a vivid scar, short and thin, but dark, that cut across her right thigh, just below the hem of the dress. More scars, small compared to the one on her thigh, were littered across both forearms. She wore a pair of fingerless gloves on her hands though, hiding them from sight.

"One would think it was I who just suffered the loss of a friend and not you." she remarked.

Kakashi scratched one cheek. He had thought it would be strange, suddenly showing up like this. But with no training for the day, he had seen a chance to get to know his newest teammate a little. The better he knew her, the easier it would be to work with her. He hadn't seen her at Asuma's funeral so it wasn't like he could have simply asked her to join him for a meal. He didn't get to reply to her though as she lift her nose and sniffed, her interest caught.

"Is that caramel I smell?" she asked.

"The shop keeper downstairs said the little caramel treats they make were your favorite." Kakashi told her.

Aisa was at his side then, sniffing in the direction of the box. Kakashi caught a wiff of her scent then. The smell of poppies, vanilla, and something decidedly spicy filled his nose. He couldn't place the last smell, but the combination was wonderful. It was a smell that he would never have a problem following if he found himself in need of doing so in the future.

"They are my favorites, but that just begs the question even more...why are you here, Hatake-san?" Aisa asked, turning her face up towards him despite not being able to see him.

Though it was a little awkward and strange, Kakashi explained to her how he had seen it as a chance for them to get to know each other as teammates better. Aisa listened to him, her head tilted to the side. When he was done, she didn't seem to have a problem with it. She left him on the balcony and went inside. She came back with a tray holding drinks. Before Ihai could follow her out onto the balcony, she slid the door close behind her.

The small puppy crashed, nose first, into the door.

Aisa turned to face the door, shaking her head as Kakashi chuckled to himself. The poor puppy couldn't seem to catch a break. He looked up at Aisa and whimpered.

"Well, if you would get along with Hatake-san instead of trying to bite him, then I wouldn't have shut the door on you." Aisa told the puppy.

She turned away from the door then to join Kakashi at the table. In Kakashi's opinion, the puppy pouted after that, sitting at the door, his back legs sticking straight out and his shoulders hunched. Aisa didn't pay him a lick of attention. He was suppose to be a ninja hound, not a lap dog.

"How is his training coming along?" Kakashi asked.

"Good. He's not always so spoiled. He follows his commands well. It is just that he believes he has to be a lap dog when we aren't training or on a mission." Aisa replied. "His parents were easier to handle."

Ihai barked in protest from the other side of the door. Apparently he didn't like being compared to his parents. Kakashi chuckled. His own hounds weren't always so easy to handle, but at least they were all fully grown and didn't act like spoiled babies. Ihai was still just a pup.

"Have you trained ninja hounds before?" Kakashi asked.

"A few times. I grew up around it. Ironic considering my mother's family trained ninja cats instead of hounds. I trained Ihai's parents before him, but I've never kept any for long. I plan to keep Ihai." Aisa answered.

Kakashi highly doubted the dog could be parted from Aisa anyway. He was so protective of her, so attached, he would probably remain at her side until the day he or Aisa died.

"He has progressed far enough in his training that the next mission I go on will be his first." Aisa added.

Kakashi leaned to the side to glance at the dog. So the puppy was ready for a mission? Kakashi just hoped he wasn't on the same mission. He had a feeling the dog would take any chance to bite him, no matter when it was. His eyes shifted to Aisa as she snagged one of the small caramel treats he had bought and popped it into her mouth. She heaved a joyful sigh.

"You really like those, don't you?" he asked.

"We didn't have anything like this around my home. My father would bring me treats like these whenever he would travel, but it was so rare. To live above a place that makes them...I must admit, I'm a little obsessed. I spend quite a bit of money on them." Aisa replied.

It seemed everyone had their vices. Kakashi's was his books, Naruto's was his ramen, Tsunade, her gambling, and Aisa, her caramels. It made Kakashi want to laugh, but he held it back. That did nothing to keep Aisa from figuring out he was fighting off laughter.

"I can practically hear you laughing in your head. What's so funny?" she asked.

"It just makes you seem more like the young girl you are." he told her.

"Hatake-san, I'm twenty-one. I'm not a girl, I'm a woman." she told him.

Kakashi had to concede that point to her. Silence fell over them for a moment as Aisa poured them both some tea. She sat aside the pot.

"I'm not actually acquainted with this, so you can tell me to shut up at any time, but...how are you doing? Tsuna-nee told me that he was a friend of your's." Aisa said then.

Kakashi didn't need to ask to know that she was talking about Asuma. She sounded so awkward asking how he was handling it. But that she was attempting to be the concerned teammate, was touching in itself.

"I'll be fine. He's not the first person I've lost." Kakashi told her honestly.

"Perhaps not, but that doesn't make it any easier. On that, you and I should both know." Aisa replied.

"No, it doesn't, but it's an unavoidable risk in our line of work."

"Very true." Aisa agreed. "And Naruto and Sakura? How are they fairing?"

"They're upset, but fine when I saw them. It is Asuma's students that anyone should be concerned for." Kakashi remarked.

"Tsuna-nee told me. They were there when it happened. Again, from experience, it's awful to watch your sensei die." Aisa said.

Kakashi imagine it had been worse for Aisa since her sensei had also been her grandfather. She had lost, not only the man who had taught her to be a shinobi but a family member as well. Kakashi turned to look at Aisa. Her head was tilted to the side, her face facing the breeze that blew across the balcony.

"If it was me...I wouldn't let the person who killed my sensei, go free. I wouldn't be able to rest until he was dead." Aisa said distantly.

Kakashi knew what she meant. She was implying that she believed Shikamaru and his teammates would try to avenge Asuma. Kakashi had a feeling that that would be the case. He had lost his sensei as well and knew he would have given anything to bring down the murder. But that wasn't what caught his attention.

"Did you?" Kakashi asked.

Aisa's face turned towards him, her brows furrowing in confusion. Her head tilted to the side.

"Did I, what?" she asked.

"Did you kill the person responsible for your sensei's death?" Kakashi asked.

Aisa leaned back in her seat, linking her hands together. Her face turned back to face the wind. She took a deep breath in and heaved a sigh.

"I sleep at night, so you tell me." she replied finally.

In that one sentence, Kakashi could hear anger, disgust, and even sadness. If she was speaking of the man that killed her sensei, her own grandfather, than why was there sadness? Was it for the lost of her grandfather? Kakashi couldn't tell. It was hard to understand someone like Aisa who made no attempt to make it easier for others to understand her.

"My grandfather use to tell me that how a person responds in grief is a great indicator to the type of character they have." Aisa said suddenly.

Her tone was distant, idle, as she said this. As if she were caught in a memory. She propped an elbow on the arm of her chair, dropping her chin into the awaiting hand.

"He would have been disappointed to see the proof of my character." she added lowly.

"I believe, when it comes down to it, that we all would want revenge at the death of a loved one." Kakashi told her. "After all, he wasn't just your sensei, but your grandfather."

Aisa hummed to herself as she thought those words over. Finally she heaved a sigh and straightened up in her seat.

"You're probably right. I still believe he would have scolded me for the way I acted. Then again...he scolded me for a lot of things." she remarked, reaching out to snag another of the caramels.

"An unruly child?" Kakashi asked, amused at the possibility.

"Let us just say that I gave my mother and grandmother more than their fair share of scares." Aisa told him.

Kakashi could have gasped out loud just then. He blinked to make sure he wasn't seeing things, but sure enough...there was a smile on her face. It was small, just a slight upward tilt of the corners of her mouth, but it was more of a smile than he had seen since meeting her.

"How so?" he asked.

"My father wasn't always around. He worked quite a bit and was away from home often. My mother, though raised a shinobi, wasn't much of one. She preferred staying at home, keeping things neat and making sure everything was perfect for when my father was home. Most days, my grandmother would join her. That left my grandfather and I to train. There were several times I would come home covered in scrapes, bruises, or blood from falling down a cliff I was trying to climb or from attempting some advance move I had seen my grandfather do. My mother would be reduced to near tears at the sight of me. It was amusing to hear her and my grandmother scold my grandfather." Aisa explained, fondly.

Kakashi liked hearing her talk about her family. He couldn't really remember his mother. She had died when he was very young. For as all as he could remember, it had been him and his father. And then his father had died too. To hear Aisa speak of her family, he could almost imagine her as a child. So happy, so carefree, and almost always beat up and filthy.

It put a smile on his face to say the least.

"When my father was home, he trained with me as well. Taught me jutsu that he had learned over the years. Sometimes my grandmother and mother would join in and we would train as a family. Those days were especially stressful for my mother, but...it was bliss to our family." Aisa added.

"Because she got to watch your accidents first hand?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes. She always claimed I would be the death of her." Aisa said.

With that sentence, her smile faltered and then faded. Did Aisa perhaps...blame herself for her family's deaths? He didn't know what had happened, how they had died, but he doubted she was the reason for the whole thing.

"You know, my grandparents, my mother's parents, were originally from this village." Aisa said, suddenly.

"They were? Why did they leave?" Kakashi asked.

Aisa's answer wasn't one he was expecting, so when it came it kind of sounded cheesy to him.

"Love."

Kakashi stared at her, dumbfounded. One corner of her mouth tilted up and her head leaned to the left.

"I can imagine the look of confusion and surprise on your face." she remarked.

"Am I that readable?" he asked.

"No. It's just that everyone has the same reaction. Your silence speaks to me like no words do." Aisa told him.

A perk of her blindness, perhaps. Or maybe it was just Aisa in general. She seemed like the type that was able to read another person without seeing their faces.

"My grandparents were from two families that had been at odds for a long time. My grandfather, though not legally my great-grandfather's heir since he was born out of wedlock, was my great-grandfather's only child. I suppose that meant he had a lot of expectations for him that my grandfather just didn't match up to no matter how much he tried. My grandmother on the other hand was a bit of a free spirit. She didn't care if she met her father's expectations for her. It must have drove him insane for he disowned her later on. When they met, they fell in love, but both of their fathers protested. And rather loudly at that." Aisa explained.

"So they ran away together." Kakashi guessed.

Aisa nodded. It was like a typical romance novel of two star-crossed lovers with families who didn't approve of their relationships.

"They found themselves what they thought was a peaceful place, made a home, settle down, and had my mother." Aisa said.

"And then your parents met and had you." Kakashi added.

"We were happy. To lose them when I did..." Aisa trailed off.

"It's not easy." Kakashi agreed.

Kakashi wanted to ask what had happened, how they had died, but he knew he wouldn't want to answer the question himself, so he didn't ask. As if sensing that, Aisa tilted her head and let out a faint, "Oh!" in sad surprise. Kakashi looked at her in confusion.

"Your parents are gone, too, aren't they, Hatake-san?" she asked.

Kakashi was silent in his surprise and Aisa frowned. She had known it. Had felt it in the air around her. Had heard it in his tone as he spoke. He didn't need to say the words for her to know. There was too much understanding in his tone.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything." Aisa said.

"No, it's fine. A lot of shinobi lose their parents young. It's a price to pay." Kakashi told her.

"Doesn't make it any easier. Death is death. It's always going to be horrible no matter how it ends." Aisa said, heaving a sigh. "Could we switch topics? I feel like, perhaps today isn't the best day to speak of such things."

Kakashi readily agreed. Though it had given him a great insight into who Aisa, as a person, was, it was a topic he didn't like. He now knew that Aisa was sharper than she appeared. And that she liked caramel candies. Something he hadn't expected of her.

"Are you going to eat any of these? If not, I'd be more than happy to take them from you." Aisa said, leaning forward to take another of the candies.

Kakashi smiled, watching her as she popped the candy into her mouth, rolling it around her tongue instead of biting into it. It was actually a little cute, watching her.

"Feel free." he told her.

If he could see her eyes, he was sure they would have lit up just then. As it was, she perked up, both of her eyebrow flying up into her hair line, the beginnings of a tiny smile, tilting up the corners of her mouth. She popped one more into her mouth and wrapped the rest up to save for later. She thanked him again for them.

"You know," Kakashi looked up at her as she spoke. "I think I understand you a little more. I'll admit, I'm not the most sociable of shinobi and I don't normally get along with others, but...I like you Hatake-san."

Kakashi was surprised to hear her say that, but not as surprised as he was to hear her admit that she knew she wasn't good with others. He was glad to hear that she felt she was getting to know him a bit more. Teammates needed to, at least, understand each other.

"That makes two of us." Kakashi told her.

Aisa hummed to herself as if she actually doubted that, but she didn't say anything. Kakashi liked to think he did understand her a bit more. He knew, at least, that she was devoted to those she cared about, and she tired to be considerate and concerned for those around her. She wasn't heartless, as she tried to appear. Kakashi was sure she would fit into the team sooner or later.

It just would take her opening up a little more.

END

Kyandi: I'm trying to develop the relationship between Aisa and Kakashi, but they're being stubborn and don't want to cooperate with me.

Aisa: Don't blame us. Hatake-san and I aren't two people you can just throw together, you know. We're complicated.

Kyandi: So I'm coming to figure out. You two will have to cooperate eventually!

Aisa: Perhaps, but not today.

Kyandi: Urgh! Why do my OCs have to be use a hand full?

Aisa: Because we're all stubborn, just like you.

Kyandi: Oh har de har.

Aisa: It is the truth.

Kyandi: Uh-huh. Let's move on already. Everyone enjoy and review.

Aisa: We shall return as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	6. First Mission

Kyandi: Hello everyone, I have returned!

Aisa: And she apologizes for taking so long to update.

Kyandi: My muse had been horribly singled-minded these last few months. As a way to make up for it. I have two chapters done for all of you lovely people.

Aisa: It was only going to be one chapter, but then she got caught up in a fight scene.

Kyandi: I **always** get caught up in fight scenes.

Aisa: I have noticed.

Kyandi: Anyway, lets move on. I'm sure everyone is ready to get to the actual chapter. So, everyone enjoy and review.

Aisa: Kyandi-sama does not own Naruto.

Chapter 6 First Mission

"Twenty-four hours?"

Aisa tilted her head to the side. It was still so strange for Sakura to stand in front of Aisa, knowing that Aisa couldn't actually "see" her, even though she acted like she could. At the moment, the two kunochi stood facing each other, Aisa standing with her hands on her hips. Yamato sat just behind Aisa, concentrating on Naruto as he trained.

"Tsuna-nee said that?" Aisa asked.

"Yes. She said if Naruto couldn't perfect his new jutsu in twenty-four hours she would send a different team." Sakura told her.

Aisa half turned towards Yamato, as if trying to get a read on what he thought about this. Yamato glanced up at her and gave a shake of his head. He didn't believe there was any way Naruto could do it. Not in such a short time limit.

"If anyone can do it, it's Naruto." Aisa remarked. "He's amazingly stubborn."

"I don't think amazingly should be the word you should use." Yamato replied.

"It is if you grew up in the family I did." Aisa retorted. "My family would have loved Naruto."

Yamato didn't even want to be begin to imagine what kind of family Aisa must of grown up in to have a family that would love Naruto's stubbornness and strangeness. Aisa, though, wasn't even paying attention anymore.

"This explains where Hatake-san vanished off too." Aisa remarked.

Aisa crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head towards the field where Naruto was still training. She had no doubt that Naruto could manage it. The boy was rather determined and sometimes, determination was all it took to pull a person across the finish line. Even it if was only barely. She was sure Naruto would do it. He just might end up using every last second allotted him.

"One more thing." Sakura said, drawing Aisa's attention back to her. "My Lady wants to see you, Aisa."

Aisa raised one thin brow in questioning. What did Tsunade want that she couldn't have Sakura tell her? Aisa had a pretty good idea what it was, but one never knew with Tsunade. The woman could surprise a person if they weren't on guard all the time. Aisa sighed and turned to Yamato.

"I'll be going then." Aisa told him.

"Right. I can handle things here." Yamato told her.

"I'm sure you can. Thank you for coming, Sakura." Aisa said.

She pat Sakura's shoulder before vanishing, as always, in a whirlwind of red. Aisa made her way to Tsunade's office, ignoring those she passed, even when some stared or whispered about her. Aisa never had paid much attention to rumors but she knew there were a few going around the village about her. Some sang praises of her abilities, which Aisa thought was ridiculous, and others spread lies and slander about her...which she found ridiculous.

Either way, ridiculousness was ridiculousness and Aisa didn't care for it.

She flew past others once she reached the office building and stopped when she finally reached Tsunade's office. She knocked once and waited for Tsunade to call for her. When she did, Aisa stepped into the office. She knew that Shizune was there as well, could sense her standing at Tsunade's side.

"Ah, Aisa! You came, good." Tsunade greeted her.

"Though I'm pretty sure I know what this is about, Tsuna-nee, what is it you want?" Aisa asked.

"As you know, by now, Kakashi has gone with the members of Team 10 to find and either kill or capture, the two Akatsuki members that are responsible for Azuma Sarutobi's death." Tsunade told her.

"I'm aware." Aisa replied.

"I want you to go catch up with them. If he can finish his jutsu in time, Naruto and the rest of Team Kakashi, will join you." Tsunade told her. "Aim to capture, Aisa. If you can't...eliminate the threat."

"Understood." Aisa said, bowing to Tsunade.

"Then leave as soon as you can." Tsunade ordered.

Aisa nodded, turned on her heel and left the office. She hurried home where Ihai greeted her at the door. The moment he saw her, it was like Ihai knew that she was in mission mode. He instantly stopped his wiggling and ran straight into her bedroom, coming back out dragging her ninja pack behind him. Though the bag was almost three times as big as him, he still managed to drag it. He met her at the doorway to the living room and Aisa snagged the bag from him.

"Good boy, Ihai." she told him.

Aisa carried the bag into the living room, checking its contents to make sure she had everything she needed. Because Ihai would be accompanying her this time, she made sure to pack extra rations for him. The bag packed and ready to go, she turned to Ihai.

"Time to suit up, Ihai." she told him.

She had saved his "battle suit" of sorts, just for this. It wasn't anymore than just a little doggy shirt made from a thicker mess armor, which would protect part of him, and a headband baring the Leaf Village symbol. Ihai, once it was on, held his head high, like he was the proudest little puppy that ever walked the earth.

"Alright, boy, this is crunch time. Time for you to prove to me that you can be a ninja hound, got it?" Aisa asked.

Ihai barked his agreement.

"No biting anyone on our side and if I tell you do something, move quickly." Aisa added.

Ihai barked again. Aisa nodded and grabbed her pack. Before leaving her apartment, she wrote a quick message to Yamato, telling him that she had been sent ahead, and sent it along to Yamato. With that down, Aisa and Ihai, set out. Even though he was a small puppy, Ihai was fast. He took the lead, following Kakashi's scent, the moment they left the gates of the village.

"Find them, Ihai." Aisa called.

Ihai barked back his reply, leading the way into the trees. Now it was time to get to work and full fill her true purpose for being back in the Leaf Village.

-0-0-0-0-

What was going on!?

Kakashi couldn't believe his eyes. Kakuzu, the Akatsuki member he had attacked from behind, was standing once more, and when Kakashi was sure he had pierced the other shinobi's heart with his attack. Instead, just when he thought Kakuzu was down and had attack Hidan, Kakuzu popped back up, catching him off guard and landed a solid kick to Kakashi's chest, sending him flying back into a tree.

"Nice! Let's hurry and get this over with!" Hidan called to his partner.

"That's what I was planning on." Kakuzu said, opening his Akatsuki cloak and removing it.

He threw it to the side as four, strange creatures formed, coming straight out of Kakuzu's back, each wearing a different mask. One of the creatures had a mask with a gapping hole in it. Kakashi figured out pretty quickly that that had been what he had destroyed with his attack. As soon as it was free from Kakuzu's body, the creature with the broken mask basically dissolved and died. Shikamaru called a warning to Choji to remain on guard as his Shadow Possession jutsu reached it's time limit, freeing Hidan.

"Wh...what is that!? Why isn't he dead!?" Choji asked.

"Who knows...but with these guys as opponents, I don't get surprised with the small things anymore." Shikamaru said.

"I can finally move." Hidan said, rolling one shoulder and popping his neck. "Alright...let's kill them, Kakuzu."

"Step back, Hidan...I'll finish this." Kakuzu replied.

"W-wait! Just wait! We've been getting beaten since then and you think I'll just sit back and watch!? Let's do the usual." Hidan demanded.

Annoyed, Kakuzu let out an annoyed noise, getting ready for their next attack. Kakashi got back to his feet, a kunai in one hand. He was taken off guard when Hidan, swinging his scythe, suddenly attacked. Kakashi jumped back, distracted by Hidan's attack and only noticed one of Kakuzu's mask creature as it appeared behind Hidan. It's spread open its mouth and let loose a wind based attack that destroyed a great bit of land.

Ino came out of her hiding spot, calling a warning to her teammates as another mask creature attacked them. This time, when the creature opened it's mouth, the attack was lightning based. Kakashi, missing his vest and a glove and looking a little disheveled, appeared in front of Shikamaru and Choji in time to stop the jutsu by matching it with a lightning based jutsu of the same strength. The force was still strong enough that it ripped his remaining glove to shreds.

Kakashi had to admit that Kakuzu and Hidan were strong. Especially Kakuzu. Not only did Kakuzu have a high level lightning element jutsu, but he had earth style and wind style jutsu too. Ino, now revealed, joined her three teammates.

"Sensei! Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah...I guess so." Kakashi replied.

Too many strong jutsu like that and his chakra wouldn't last long. There was only so much even he could take before he grew tired. Especially with attacks as strong as the ones Kakuzu had up his sleeves.

"You're the first one to survive this attack, Hatake Kakashi." Hidan called out.

"You saw it with your sharingan..how about this one?" Kakuzu asked.

A third mask creature, opened it mouth. Kakashi had a feeling that this jutsu would be of a differing element too. He was proven right when it turned out to be a fire based one. To block now with so little time would do no good. Kakashi would never make it without some damage on their side. Suddenly, through his Sharingan eye, Kakashi could see a network of spider web-like chakra lines fall over the battle field. Moments later, a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Firestorm Jutsu!"

Suddenly a vortex of spinning fire fell out of the sky, landing between Kakashi and his team and Kakuzu and Hidan. The tightly swirling vortex of fire gathered the flames from Kakuzu's own attack, adding them to the vortex and saving Kakashi and his team from damage while redirecting the flames into the sky, where they dispersed. The vortex broke apart then, completely vanishing and out of the smoke...stepped Aisa. The spider web effect of chakra lines was coming from Aisa, weaving through the ground and the air around her, spreading from her finger tips and constantly shifting around her to take in everything.

Was this the jutsu that replaced her sight?

"Aisa!?" Kakashi said, surprised.

"Hatake-san...are the four of you alright?" Aisa asked, turning towards them.

"We're fine. What are you doing here?" Kakashi asked.

"Tsuna-nee sent me. She thought you could use a little assistance. Ihai led me right to you." Aisa replied.

With a growling bark, Ihai popped his head up out of the pack on Aisa's back. The puppy barked, his tongue rolling out of his mouth. Kakashi had no doubt in his mind that the dog was wagging his tail inside the bag. Aisa dug a milk bone treat out of a pouch on her belt and held it out over her shoulder. Ihai snatched it up and disappeared back inside the bag.

"Good boy, Ihai." Aisa told him.

She half turned then, her head tilting in the general direction of Kakuzu and Hidan. Seeing the solid visor over Aisa's eyes, Hidan turned a questioning look on Kakuzu, who seemed intrigued as well.

"Who are you?" Shikamaru asked.

"Noroi Aisa. She's a new member of Team Kakashi." Kakashi replied.

Aisa wasn't really listening. She was focused in on something else, her head tilted a little to one side. Kakashi could see the chakra lines around her shift and wrap around Hidan and Kakuzu. They shuddered, Aisa doing the same thing, before they returned their their shifting through the air.

"These two have icky feeling chakra." Aisa remarked low enough where only Kakashi, Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino could hear.

"They're immortal." Ino told her.

"Oh...their worshippers of Jashin?" Aisa asked.

"You know of Jashin-sama!?" Hidan called, hearing that part.

Aisa turned her head towards Hidan, raising on eyebrow. He sounded a little too thrilled by the idea that she knew of his religion. If one could even call it that. It seemed less like an honest to heaven religion and more like a blood bath cult to Aisa.

"I take it, only one of them is a worshipper." Aisa remarked.

"Damn straight!" Hidan snapped.

Aisa eased herself back so that she was standing even with Kakashi. When she stood beside Kakashi, Ihai started growling from inside her bag. Aisa elbowed the bag lightly earning a little yelp from the puppy. Reaching back, she zipped up the pouch the puppy was in, leaving just enough open so air could easily get into the bag.

"Hush, Ihai." Aisa told him.

"What's this about worship?" Choji asked lowly.

"There is a so called religion called Jashin that worships a god it is named after. It's rumored that by experimenting with the god's secret technique, a stout believer can be granted immortality. Apparently the religion focuses on complete destruction and outright slaughter. Anything less than that is considered a sin against their god. I have heard that those who are granted immortality, even partake in rituals where they deliver what is suppose to be fatal blows to themselves in reverence of their god. Its more of a blood bath cult than a religion, in my opinion, but this man is evidence that the rumors hold true." Aisa explained lowly.

"And how do you know all of this?" Shikamaru asked.

"I grew up outside of the village. You pick up on a few things when you travel as much as I have." Aisa told him.

"Well, your timing is great." Shikamaru told her.

"I could see that. I'm told you're the master mind behind this mission, Nara Shikamaru, so tell me what you need from me." Aisa said.

"Just don't get killed." Shikamaru told her.

"Well that's a pretty simple task." Aisa retorted.

"You'd be surprised." Choji assured her.

Aisa perked up then and, quickly, she reached out for the two nearest people to her. She shoved Ino to one side and Shikamaru to the other, before jumping into the air. Choji and Kakashi took the silent warning and moved in time to avoid the attack launched their way.

"Ino, Choji! You okay?" Shikamaru called.

"I'm fine!" Ino called back.

"Me too!" Choji answered.

Aisa landed on the under side of a tree branch, chakra in her feet keeping her feet planted to the bark despite hanging upside down. Kakashi had jumped straight into the air to avoid the attack.

"Hatake-san, behind you!" Aisa called.

Kakashi snagged another kunai out of its pouch as Hidan came at him from behind with his scythe. The two moved quickly, darting around the wide trunk of a tree before clashing and separating. Both landed on the ground below, sliding apart from each other. Choji, Shikamaru, and Ino joined Kakashi, but Aisa remained where she was, hanging upside down over their heads.

"You alright, Kakashi-sensei?" Choji asked.

"Yeah." Kakashi replied. "Aisa?"

"I'm right as rain." Aisa replied.

Kakashi nodded, keeping his eyes on Hidan. Between his Lightning Blade and the Sharingan, Kakashi knew he was pushing it. Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji were strong in their own rights and Aisa was a Jōnin, the same as him, but if these two were giving him a run for his money, then it was only a matter of time before his teammates ran out of steam.

"This is the problem with fighting people like this." Aisa remarked from above their heads. "Their teamwork is nearly flawless, plus their immortality...capture is definitely not an option here."

With that said, Aisa released her hold on her chakra and fell towards the earth. She twisted in mid air to land on her feet lightly beside Kakashi. She called out to her puppy in her bag, to see if he was alright, and got a bark in reply. Assured that Ihai was fine, Aisa turned to the others. She couldn't see it, but she knew Shikamaru was staring at her. She had a pretty good idea what for, but didn't say anything.

"That being said, while the one who worships Jashin is, without a doubt, immortal, I highly doubt that is the case with the other." Aisa said lowly.

"You're kidding right!? Kakashi-sensei definitely got him. How is he not dead if he's not immortal?" Choji asked.

"If I'd gotten his heart, he would be." Kakashi agreed.

"I sense a "but" somewhere in that sentence." Aisa remarked.

"But what I actually hit was one of those masked monsters living inside him. I think it died in his place." Kakashi said.

Aisa hummed in thought. To her, the masked monsters felt like a buzz of chakra. One solid mass of chakra with a beating center, like that of a heartbeat.

"Same as when he escaped the Shadow Mimic Shuriken Jutsu. There was some beating heart-thing in the middle of the mass acting on its own." Shikamaru said.

"Funny that you say that."

All four turned to look at Aisa. She had her head tilted to the side, almost as if she was listening to something that none of them could hear. One corner of her mouth was turned down in a frown. The chakra lines around her, that Kakashi could see through his Sharingan, were twisting about the masked creatures as if scooping them out.

"What is it, Aisa?" Kakashi asked.

"I can't see, that's a fact. How I get around is kind of like...echolocation, if you will, mixed with a spider web-like effect, except with chakra. To me, those creatures feel like a mass of chakra and at the center of each of those masses, is something that's beating. Like that of a heart." Aisa explained.

"What's that mean for us?" Choji asked.

"I think I know what she's getting at." Shikamaru said, looking at Aisa. "You think each one of those monsters has its own heart."

Aisa nodded. It seemed that both of them had arrived at the same answer.

"And they all feed back to him." Aisa added.

"So essentially, he's got five hearts." Shikamaru said.

"That's...nuts." Choji insisted.

"Technically speaking, it's four now, if Hatake-san destroyed one." Aisa corrected.

If the two of them were correct then it was going to be quite the job to finish off Kakuzu alone. With more hearts at his disposal, they would have to take out all four to finally destroy Kakuzu.

"So to completely finish him we need to destroy the hearts in those monsters!?" Ino asked.

"Yep." Shikamaru confirmed.

"You keep on impressing me, kid. You're absolutely right, they all contain hearts taken from shinobi I've killed. I'll have to stock back up...and you guys should do nicely." Kakuzu said.

"Sorry, I don't have a heart." Aisa retorted sarcasically, before reaching up to bump a fist to her chest over her heart. "Just a block of ice in here."

If it had been an easier opponent and not so serious a situation, Kakashi might have at least grinned at that. But that wasn't the case. He now understood how Kakuzu could manipulate four different chakra natures. By running his own chakra through the hearts he had stolen, he could use whatever chakra nature their former owners had been able to use. A formidable opponent indeed.

"How's it feel to realize your opponents are immortal?" Hidan asked, a wide grin on his face as he joined Kakuzu.

"I wouldn't really consider your partner immortal since, technically, he can still die." Aisa remarked.

Kakuzu humped at her in an annoyed way. Not that Aisa really cared. If she was right, she was right and they could just get over it.

"What's the plan, Shikamaru?" Kakashi asked lowly.

"We'd be better off separating them. First, we neutralize their team attacks, then we focus on killing the other guy four more times." Shikamaru replied.

"Sounds like a real task since we'll have to incapacitate this Hidan man." Aisa remarked.

Kakashi agreed with her. It could definitely be a task in and of itself. Hidan didn't seem like the easiest person in the world to handle.

"I'll do it." Ino volunteered. "I've got the most chakra left, after Aisa, and I'm not as skilled in straight fighting...I'll use the Mind-Body Switch jutsu and-"

"No way." Shikamaru said, instantly shooting her down. "That jutsu's only usable when I hold them down with the shadow mimic. If you miss, you won't return to your body for several minutes. It's too risky."

"Well there's always the obvious answer. While it won't kill him, separating his head from his body would keep him from moving...as long as you can keep the head away from his partner." Aisa offered.

None of them really relished the idea of carrying around an angry, foul-mouthed head while fighting. They didn't really need the distraction and that would be the only way to keep Hidan's head away from Kakuzu.

"No. I'll do it. I'll bind him with the Shadow Mimic and move him myself." Shikamaru said.

"How, though? You need to distract him for that, too. It's no different than Ino doing it." Kakashi insisted.

"Actually, I can see a difference. If he's better than Ino in straight up fighting, then he would be a better choice. Especially since, if he misses, he's not going to be left defenseless because his mind is out of his body. Precautions." Aisa replied.

Kakashi saw her point in this. Out of the two of them, Shikamaru was better with one-on-one fighting than Ino and if Shikamaru missed, he could still move. Ino couldn't. In a case like this, it was better that Shikamaru took up the mantle.

"We just need a distraction." Aisa added.

"I'll take care of that." Choji volunteered.

"That's risky, too. If he draws a single drop of blood from you, you're dead." Shikamaru told him.

"You know, that argument can be used against you, too." Aisa told him.

"What then? Are you going to volunteer?" Shikamaru asked.

"I have a feeling that if I did, you'd just shoot me down too." Aisa retorted.

"Yeah, I will. Both of you need to save your chakra for fighting the masked guy with Kakashi-sensei." Shikamaru insisted.

Kakashi glanced at Aisa, watching as one of her cheeks puffed out slightly. Aisa wasn't use to working in a team, wasn't use to taking orders from someone else, but he could tell that she was trying hard to keep her opinions to herself.

"Enough with the yakkin' over there! Let's do this!" Hidan called.

"I'll catch him myself and fulfill that role." Shikamaru said, ignoring Hidan.

Aisa didn't really like the sound of the idea and turned her face towards Kakashi, silently asking his oppinon on the matter. Kakashi glanced from her to Shikamaru before heaving a barely audible sigh.

"I see...we should leave this to Shikamaru." Kakashi said.

Not something Aisa really wanted to do, but she had come to realize that Kakashi was a smart man. If he thought it was better to leave it to Shikamaru, then she would go along with it.

"Here, take this." Kakashi said, holding out his hand.

Shikamaru took whatever it was that he had in his balled up fist. Aisa caught a little whiff of the iron tang of blood as Shikamaru tucked whatever it was away. Shikamaru walked past Aisa and Kakashi, taking the head of the group. Without bothering with beating around the bush, Shikamaru cast his jutsu. Two snaking shadows shot out of his shadow, heading for Hidan and Kakuzu. Hidan and Kakuzu scattered, Hidan landing on the trunk of a tree. The two shadows split off, going after Hidan. When Kakuzu moved to assist his partner, Kakashi and Aisa stepped into his way.

"You're fighting us." Kakashi told Kakuzu.

Behind them, Shikamaru confronted Hidan and, after a few close calls, Shikamaru managed to successfully link his shadow to Hidan's.

"Get out of here, Shikamaru!" Kakashi called to him.

"Right." Shikamaru replied.

Shikamaru made Hidan leave his scythe behind and forced him to follow him away from the others. Kakuzu's eyes went from Hidan and Shikamaru's retreating forms to Kakashi and Aisa who stood in front of him.

"You sure you want to let him go alone? You're seriously taking Hidan too lightly. And to think that punk Shikamaru or whoever would probably have ranked in a pretty high price on his neck, will go off and die today." Kakuzu said.

None of them said anything in reply. There was no need to. Aisa didn't know Shikamaru but the others were confident in his abilities. Aisa half turned, tilting her head back as one of the masked creatures moved in behind her and Kakashi. Kakashi glanced at Aisa as she dropped into a crouch, one hand pressed to the ground. She looked like she was getting ready for the next attack no matter where it came from. He could even see the chakra lines thinning out, weaving a web completely around her so she would know the moment any enemy made a move.

"Anyway, you guys were right in picking me. I **am** strong. There is just too much of a difference in battle experience between you and me." Kakuzu said.

"I repeat...because every woman likes a prideful man." Aisa remarked lowly.

Aisa tensed up, as if sensing trouble, when Kakuzu raised an arm, the black threads just below the elbow spilling out of the seam.

"Looking at your forehead protector reminds me of the very first Konoha shinobi I fought...Shodai Hokage, that is." Kakuzu said, more seams unraveling.

Aisa's eyebrows snapped down. The First Hokage? This man was that old? After everything Aisa had seen growing up, she didn't doubt things like that anymore. With all the different types of jutsu out there in the world, some pretty strange and unbelievable things could happen.

"How old can he be!?" Ino asked, surprise filling the others.

"You're really immortal.." Kakashi said.

"No. Being immortal means there's no possible way he can die. He's not immortal...isn't that right?" Aisa called out to Kakuzu.

"Pretty sharp, aren't you? No one is immortal. By continuing to stock up on people's hearts right before they kick the bucket, I've somehow been able to lengthen my life span. By taking out the hearts of stronger and stronger shinobi while they are still alive, that is." Kakuzu confirmed.

"Disgusting." Aisa remarked.

"So you think." Kakuzu said, before turning his eyes to Kakashi. "The total amount of hearts I have in stock is, including your heart, five. Kakashi...I'm going to replace the heart that you took out with yours!"

Kakashi was surprised when two of the masked creatures, the wind and fire, fused together. He was taken even more by surprise when they combined their attacks and attacked him. Aisa darted to the side, as she had been prepared for. Snagging Kakashi by the collar of his shirt, she jumped, dragging him behind her. Kakashi let her force carry him backwards while covering their backs with a water wall that barely stopped the attack. Aisa released Kakashi as they drifted back down towards the ground. She twisted in mid air when she felt someone charge into the edge of her spider web-like boundaries.

"Hatake-san!" she called in warning, but it was too late.

Kakuzu seized Kakashi with the threads from one arm and yanked him out of the air and slammed him down on his back.

"Your heart is mine!" Kakuzu announced.

Aisa barely landed on a tree branch, her feet lightly touching the wood. Screw that! She wasn't going to stand back and let Kakuzu rip into Kakashi's chest. In that moment, right before Kakuzu could pierce Kakashi's skin too deep and right before Aisa could jump at him, Kakuzu jerked to a halt, gripping at his chest with his free hand. Aisa anchored herself to the bark under her feet, waiting to see how this went.

"Ugh...no...impossible..." Kakuzu ground out.

"It's that exact impossibility. I used your blood. Shikamaru knew Hidan used a blood ability, so I prepared a blood holding capsule." Kakashi told him.

Kakuzu collapsed and Kakashi pulled the threads out of his shirt front. Ino and Choji hurried to Kakashi's side, but Aisa waited, knowing that this wasn't over just yet. Kakashi knew it too and he started pulling at those threads that had made it somewhat into his skin.

"Hey, don't rush! I'll heal you-"

"Not now!" Kakashi said, cutting off Ino.

As if angered by the destruction of yet another of their master's hearts, the masked creatures left, charged them. Choji used his own jutsu to grow in size, smashing the creatures into the ground. Despite the attack, one of the creatures, the lightning one, slipped past Choji and rejoined with Kakuzu, giving him a beating heart once more. As it vanished back into Kakuzu, the mask crumbled away and Kakuzu got back to his feet, the mask on the lower part of his face now moved to reveal more of the threads coming out of his mouth. He basically exploded with the threads. The other two masked creatures even rejoined with Kakuzu, too.

"It's been ages...since I went through two hearts...in one fight..." Kakuzu said, obvious angry.

With him so close, Kakuzu was able to quickly, and easily, tangle Kakashi, Ino, and Choji up in his threads, leaving them trapped and in close range for his next attack. The wind and fire masks popped up from Kakuzu's shoulders, opening their mouths to let loose their combination attack. It was too close and too fast for them to stop.

Something white suddenly dropped right in front of Kakuzu. Confused, Kakuzu looked down, coming almost face to face with Aisa's visored face. His eyes widened. He had almost completely forgotten about her! Aisa let out a sharp whistle. Kakuzu was taken off guard when, with a growl, Ihai came flying out of Aisa's pack and jumped at his face, sharp claws digging at Kakuzu's face. Blinded by the ball of fur and claws, he didn't see Aisa's well aimed kick to his chest that sent him stumbling back. Aisa twisted on the spot, reaching back to pull open her pack. Another whistle and Ihai jumped clear of Kakuzu's face just as Aisa darted forward.

In a probably well practiced move, Ihai flew over Aisa's head and right back into the pack, Aisa pulling on the tie to close it. She never missed a step and was in Kakuzu's face once more. Far closer than Kakuzu, or her teammates, were comfortable with. One of Aisa's cheek puffed out, her hands flying through hand signs at a fast pace. Kakuzu was force to retreat further back as she let loose a fireball in his face. Aisa's only goal, at this point, was to force him far enough back that he would be forced to release her teammates, but her attack was cancelled out when the fire mask created a blast of the same power level.

Aisa darted back, trying to avoid the threads that came shooting through the resulting cloud of smoke, but the threads seized her by the throat and the bisceps, shoving her back off her feet. Aisa, instantly fearing for Ihai in the bag on her back, twisted, wrenching her shoulders and causing the threads to tighten around her throat, but she was able to keep from landing on her back. She smashed into the ground on her left side and was dragged across the ground by the threads until she came to a stop just in front of Kakashi.

"Aisa!" Ino called in concern.

But there were other things to be concerned about. More threads sprouted off of the ones holding Aisa, wrapping around her body to hold her in place. With none of them able to move out of the way, Kakuzu moved in to finish them.

"Die...now..." Kakuzu growled.

"Ihai! Go!" Aisa croaked out.

The puppy had come tumbling out of her bag when she landed and was now crouched next to her, tail between his hind legs in fear, but he refused to move when she couldn't. Kakashi would give the puppy one thing...he was loyal to a fault. Ihai huddled close to Aisa as Kakuzu let his attack loose.

Aisa didn't know if it was one of those almost-die-and-get-saved-at-the-last-moment things that made people appreciate their life and friends, but she was grateful nonetheless when Naruto, Sakura, Sai, and Yamato showed up at the last second to save them from the blast. It was like a horribly cliche story and it had Aisa's heart pounding out a quick beat in her chest.

"Hope we're not too late." Naruto said.

Aisa, who had been released by the threads like Kakashi, Ino, and Choji, flopped onto her back. Ihai happily wagged his tail when he saw that Aisa would be alright.

"I'd say you arrived in the nick of time." Aisa said.

Kakashi walked up to her, holding out his hand to her, asking if she needed a hand up. Aisa held her hand out, letting him take her hand and pull her to her feet.

"Are you alright?" he asked, peering at her neck.

"I'm fine." Aisa replied.

Kakashi caught hold of her chin, tilting her chin up so he could look closer at her neck. There was a thin, red line forming around her pale neck.

"There's already a mark." Kakashi told her.

"It got a little tight there for a moment, but I wasn't going to let myself squash Ihai by landing on my back." Aisa told him, softly swatting his hand away.

Kakashi left it at that. He was just relieved that Naruto and the others had showed up when they did, and that Aisa had stepped in when she had. She had probably bought Naruto and Yamato the last few seconds they needed to get there. Yamato looked over his shoulder at Kakashi then.

"This is the first time I've seen you lose your cool, sempai. This opponent must be quite strong." Yamato remarked.

"Strong and stubborn." Aisa confirmed.

"What about Shikamaru?" Naruto asked.

"He's fighting this guy's partner." Choji replied.

"Hurry and get a two-man cell to Shikamaru. One should be a medical nin." Kakashi said.

Kakashi dropped into a crouch, laying a hand on the ground and summoning one of his ninja hounds. In a puff of smoke, Pakkun appeared before him.

"I'll lead the way!" Pakkun said.

"Right! Sai and Sakura, follow Pakkun and back up Shikamaru." Yamato ordered.

The two agreed with a quick, "Yes, captain!". Aisa turned towards Pakkun and Kakashi then.

"Pakkun, is it?" she asked.

"Yeah?" Pakkun asked, looking up at her.

"Could I ask you to take Ihai, here, with you?" Aisa asked, nudging her puppy with her foot.

Pakkun didn't need to ask to know that Aisa wanted the puppy as far from Kakuzu as she could get him and she trusted Sakura and Sai enough to feel safe sending the puppy with them.

"Yeah, sure." Pakkun told her.

"Thank you. Ihai, remember Shikamaru's scent as well." Aisa ordered.

Ihai barked obediently. Kakashi glanced at Aisa, pretty sure he knew what she was thinking at that point. Naruto declared he would handle Kakuzu and Pakkun turned to Sakura and Sai.

"Let's hurry and go!" Pakkun said.

"I'm counting on you, Naruto!" Sakura told Naruto.

With that, Sakura, Sai, and Ihai, led by Pakkun, took off. Kakashi turned to look at Aisa once the four were gone.

"You can't protect him forever if he's to be a ninja hound." Kakashi told her.

"I don't plan to. This is his first mission and believe me...this was not what I had in mind. He's just a puppy. I refuse to get him killed before he's too old to walk." Aisa told him.

Kakashi looked at Aisa closely. Ihai might be a dog, but he was more than that to Aisa. She could claim she had an ice block for a heart, as she had earlier, but it was obvious that she didn't. Kakashi couldn't help but poke one little bur at her.

"An ice block, huh?" Kakashi asked.

"Oh, shut up, already."

He would take that as her pouty confirmation that, yes, she had a heart.

At least she didn't deny it.

END

Kyandi: I get way too caught up in fight scenes.

Aisa: Yes you do.

Kyandi: I can't help it! I get as drawn in with fight scenes as I do aww moments.

Aisa: You're a sap.

Kyandi: Eh...not really.

Aisa: The next chapter?

Kyandi: Right! I have one more chapter finished for all of you. Just give me a short time and I'll have it up. So, with that, everyone enjoy and review.

Aisa: We'll be back shortly.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	7. Victory

Kyandi: I told all of you I'd be back in a short moment.

Aisa: To be fair, you made it sound like it would be, at least, an hour.

Kyandi: And I did it on purpose!

Aisa: I figured.

Kyandi: What? After so long of not updating, they're probably happy to have two chapters.

Aisa: Very true.

Kyandi: So with that in mind, everyone, please enjoy and review.

Aisa: Kyandi-sama does not own Naruto.

Chapter 7 Victory

"Did you complete the jutsu?"

Aisa was glad when Kakashi turned his attention away from her and Yamato and Naruto. She wasn't exactly thrilled with being reminded, **in the middle of a fight for their lives** , that she had beating heart. A bleeding one where Ihai was concerned.

"No. It's about half-strength." Yamato replied.

"I see..." Kakashi remarked.

"However...see for yourself. That's not the Naruto you once knew!" Yamato insisted.

Aisa turned her attention to Naruto as he produced two clones. She needed to keep a close eye on him, figuratively speaking, that is. After all, it was the reason why Tsunade had called her to the Leaf Village in the first place.

"Mass Shadow Clones...ah haaaa...you're the nine-tails jinchuuriki." Kakuzu mused as he looked at Naruto.

Aisa tensed. She was sure that Naruto could probably handle himself, but it was her job to step in if that wasn't the case. Kakashi glanced at her, watching as she subtly shifted, ready to charge in if Naruto needed back-up.

"Can you brief me on the situation and his abilities?"

Yamato speaking drew Kakashi's attention from Aisa to him.

"We're up against two members of "Akatsuki". Shikamaru is fighting one and his back-up is on the way, obviously. The other is right in front of you. His main ability is splitting off parts of his body. He started this battle with five hearts. We've taken out two so far." Kakashi told him.

"Excuse me?" Yamato asked, thinking he might have misheard Kakashi.

"He has five hearts in his body." Aisa confirmed. "Well...had."

"Basically, we've killed him twice already and we have to kill him three more times to win." Kakashi said, simplifying it. "He's a mid-range fighter and can use high-level jutsu of every element."

Yamato could see why Kakashi had had an issue handling Kakuzu and why Aisa, who had managed to ambush and take off guard not just him but Kakashi and Naruto too, had been given a run for her money, as well.

"Naruto!" Yamato called.

"I heard 'im!" Naruto called back, his clones charging Kakuzu.

Ino and Choji called out to him in concern. Aisa focused in on her senses, following Naruto and his clones as they confronted Kakuzu who wrapped his clones up in the threads. She could tell that Naruto was just using the clones to get some battle experience against Kakuzu. Basically, he was using the knowledge feed back from the clones as a simulation. At least he had learned how to use his shadow clones to his complete advantage.

Aisa, who had a heightened sense of hearing due her blindness, clapped her hands to her ears as, using clones to apply the change in chakra nature, Naruto changed his Rasengan into the finished version he had made. The screech the highly packed chakra let off was like a knife straight to Aisa's ears. The buzz from the chakra made it feel like static electricity was being spilled into her senses. Aisa didn't have to see the jutsu to know...she never wanted to go up against it.

Kakuzu apparently agreed with her.

"Aisa?" Kakashi asked.

"This noise is like a knife to my poor ears." Aisa replied.

But she could deal with it. It didn't feel great, but she had felt worse pain then that. She made a mental note to put as much distance between her and Naruto as she could the next time he decided to use it. She removed her hands from her ears and tried to focus past the noise. Not easy when it was loud enough to give her an instant migraine.

Choji tried to step in, to help Naruto, but Yamato stopped him, telling him that he really didn't want to get caught in the middle of Naruto's attack. Aisa wouldn't, that was for sure. Naruto charged Kakuzu, who tried to fend off the Shadow Clones so that he could keep from being hit with Naruto's new jutsu. But there were too many in the end and Naruto came at him from behind, wielding the shuriken shaped jutsu. Naruto managed to hit Kakuzu in the chest, but something went wrong and the jutsu faded before dealing any damage to Kakuzu.

"He...messed up..." Yamato said in surprise.

"Tsk, I'm not surprised, coming from the number one unpredictable ninja." Kakashi said, darting forward. "Yamato!"

Kakashi darted forward as Kakuzu seized Naruto with the threads. Kakashi darted between Kakuzu and Naruto, cutting the threads and grabbing Naruto, pulling Naruto back to the others. Yamato hit Kakuzu with wooden planks that sprouted from his arm, slamming the other shinobi into the base of a tree.

"Shit!" Naruto snapped.

"Just like Naruto, acting all tough again, eh? I guess that's normal coming from Naruto." Ino remarked.

"When you said Rasenshuriken, I thought it would go flying around, but you actually have to run and smash it into someone?" Choji asked.

"Shut up! If it hits, it's so cool!" Naruto argued.

"Even though it's called the Rasenshuriken, it has to be a direct hit at close range. That's why you need Shadow Clones to distract your enemy. It's the basic of this jutsu." Yamato said.

"That sounds about right for a wind-natured jutsu." Aisa remarked, keeping her senses peeled for Kakuzu.

"The amount of time you can maintain this jutsu is still too short. He needed a few more seconds..." Kakashi mused.

"Is that so...you won't be able to hit a guy like him." Choji said.

"Let me try again." Naruto insisted. "Its gonna work this time."

"He's an Akatsuki you know. If you do the same thing, he's gonna dodge it." Ino told him.

"He knows about the feint plan. Let's just strike all together." Choji suggested.

"That's true. In this case, we are going six against one. There's no need to cross this dangerous bridge." Kakashi insisted.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Naruto snapping his name, made Kakashi look up at him from where he was crouched. Naruto had his eyes set on Kakuzu, not willing to be budged from this.

"During my training...do you remember what you said to me?" Naruto asked.

Aisa tilted her head to the side, curious about where this was going.

"'The only shinobi that can surpass the Fourth Hokage is you. That's what I believe.' It's true that the key is teamwork. I know. But right here, right now, I wanna cross that dangerous bridge, by myself. If I can't do that, I'll stay a kid forever." Naruto told him.

Kakashi stared at Naruto, still debating. Aisa turned to Naruto then.

"How about a compromise of sorts?"

All eyes turned to Aisa as she stood facing Naruto, her expression, or what they could see of it, serious.

"I'll be your distraction." Aisa offered, shocking all of them.

"You can-"

Aisa held up a hand, cutting off Yamato. While she was a member of Team Kakashi and Yamato had been made the leader of his team when they had been sent after Shikamaru's team, for this mission, Aisa had been sent alone. Meaning...she didn't answer to anyone. If this was her choice, she'd make it and none of them could pull rank on her.

"Believe me, I don't have to be anywhere near Naruto or the creep over there, to be a distraction. I have just as many long-range jutsu as I do mid-range or close-range jutsu. And he will be distracted." Aisa said in a way to appease Yamato.

"But-"

"Don't think of it as assistance, Naruto. You'll still be doing this on your own. Just think of it as...an opening that you can take advantage of. Besides, now that he knows you need close-range to land that jutsu, he's probably going to switch to long-range." Aisa said, cutting Naruto off.

Naruto stared at Aisa. The woman had quite a persuasive way of aruging her case. Naruto grinned. If she didn't get in his way and was only supplying him with an opening, then he could take the offer with a clear conscious.

"Alright." Naruto agreed.

"Hatake-san?" Aisa asked, tilting her head in Kakashi's direction.

"You sure about this?" Kakashi asked her.

"I never offer something I don't mean." Aisa replied.

Kakashi nodded, agreeing. Naruto turned to Aisa.

"You're up then." he told her.

"Right. I can give you a brief moment. Be ready." Aisa told him.

Aisa turned to face Kakuzu. Kakuzu knew something was up. Even if it was this white haired girl stepping up to the plate, he highly doubted they would give up on Naruto's jutsu. Just in case, he switched into long-range mode. Aisa couldn't physically see his change in appearance, but she could build enough of a picture to know that the slimy, eight limb creature made of the black threads that Kakuzu became, was grotesque at best.

"He didn't just change his form, he's also charging up himself with chakra." Yamato remarked from behind Aisa.

"Likely to prepare himself against Naruto's jutsu." Kakashi agreed.

"Aisa!" Naruto called.

Aisa dropped into a crouch. Two could play the charing up chakra game. Her hands flew in her hands signs before she pressed her palms flat to the ground. All of them could feel the building of crackling chakra under their feet. What might have looked like an earth style jutsu from a far, was actually a lightning style. With a strong pulse that spread out through the ground around her like a heart beat, lightning broke free of the ground, breaking up the earth and up heaving not only Kakuzu, but Aisa, herself. But Aisa was prepared for it. Anchoring herself to the piece of ground she was on, her hands flew again, preparing for her next jutsu.

"Get ready, Naruto." she called back.

Aisa unleashed her Tornado Blade jutsu, the whirlwind catching the bits of broken up land, into it's current. Kakuzu was thoroughly distracted as the swirling masses of land obscured his vision. Naruto used that opening to create three clones and form his Rasenshuriken. He darted into the swirling storm. Knowing that something was coming, Kakuzu jumped, keeping his distance from Naruto. He knew if he just ignored the Shadow Clones and focused on the original with the jutsu in hand, then he had nothing to be afraid of. He highly doubted that Aisa was going to step into the fight any further.

"Like I thought, he's seen right through it." Ino exclaimed.

"Wait for it." Aisa told her.

Kakuzu attacked the Naruto with the Rasenshuriken, only to find that it was a clone. The real Naruto appeared behind him, another Rasenshuriken in hand. There was no way Kakuzu could avoid the attack and Naruto landed it sqaure in the center of his back. The outwards explosion of air and chakra was enough that it knocked Aisa back off her feet and sent her flying back. Kakashi, standing in the direct path of her body, caught her, yanking her up short with an arm around her waist. Naruto flew free of the explosion, sliding across the ground.

The resulting explosion had been so strong, it had created a deep and wide crater and managed to destroy all three of Kakuzu's remaining hearts, leaving the man in a crumpled heap in the crater, well on his way to death's door. Of course, the attack had wiped Naruto of his chakra, leaving him tired. Aisa heaved a sigh. That really was a jutsu she never wanted to be on the receiving end of.

"You alright?" Kakashi asked, his voice sounding close to her ear.

He was still supporting her with one arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. Aisa had never really been one to like close encounters, for several reasons, but to over react now could set her up for an awkward relationship, and one of endless teasing, with her new teammates. So she kept herself calm.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You can let go now." she told him.

Kakashi nodded and released her, setting her fully on her feet once more. Aisa dusted off her clothes, trying to appear unfazed by the close quarters. Choji and Ino saw to Naruto, Choji supporting Naruto while Ino starting healing him.

"I can't believe you used your real body to distract him." Ino remarked.

"Hehe...you're not quite at Shikamaru's level, but you're pretty smart too, Naruto!" Choji said.

"Don't compare me with him. That's not fair." Naruto replied.

"I'm impressed that you managed to use the new jutsu three times. You could barely get to two during our last training session." Yamato remarked.

Aisa stood back with Kakashi, her arms crossed over her chest.

"He came up with a new stratgey to ensure the jutsu would hit after the first attempt failed, and he did it so fast." Kakashi remarked.

"He may act like a child at times, but he isn't one anymore. He's pretty clever." Aisa agreed.

"And you...what exactly was that first jutsu?" Kakashi asked her, turning to look at her.

"It's called, "Pulse of the Earth". You know, your heart is powered by little pulses of electricity that your body naturely creates. It's somewhat similar to that, but since earth is weak to lightning, it all breaks apart..."

"Leaving it to be perfectly swept up by your Tornado Blade jutsu." Kakashi said, finishing the sentence for her.

"Exactly. I always thought it a nice accompaniment for distracting or trapping an enemy." Aisa remarked.

"Certainly is." Kakashi agreed.

"But, I'm nothing but a drop in the bucket when compared to Naruto." Aisa said, her head turning towards Naruto.

Kakashi couldn't argue and say she had the strength that Naruto had the potential for, but he highly doubted she was a "drop in the bucket". Aisa's head turned to him then, her face angling up towards him despite not being able to see it.

"Or when compared to you, for that matter. The rumors about your skill and strength don't do you justice." Aisa told him.

"I don't know about that." Kakashi said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I do." Aisa said, heaving a somewhat dejected sigh. "I still have a long way to go."

Kakashi wasn't exactly sure what he could say to that. It wasn't like he was her sensei. He couldn't agree or disagree with that statement. Kakashi was pulled from that line of thought when Aisa suddenly reached up and poked his cheek where his mask was torn. Her finger tip traced the jagged tear.

"Had that ripped anymore, everyone would have gotten a good look at your face." Aisa told him.

"I'm not concerned." Kakashi told her.

"I'm sure." Aisa retorted, dropping her hand.

Before Kakashi could say anything to her, Yamato turned to them.

"We should return to the village, sempai." Yamato called.

Kakashi agreed. He knew he'd be happy to get back. Aisa reached out, tugging on his shirt sleeve. When he looked at her, she pointed down into the crater at Kakuzu.

"What about him? He's still breathing." Aisa said.

Kakashi peered into the crater at Kakuzu. He laid a hand on Aisa's shoulder as he turned to look at her.

"Leave it to me. Go join Yamato." he told her.

"Sure thing."

Kakashi watched as Aisa turned and walked away. Aisa joined the others while Kakashi finished Kakuzu off. Kakashi joined them when he was done and they met up with Shikarmaru, Sakura, and Sai. The moment he saw her, Ihai came running at Aisa, his tail wagging as he jumped into her arms.

"Good boy, Ihai. You've survived your first mission and did handsomely." Aisa praised the puppy.

Wiggling in happiness, Ihai climbed back into Aisa's pack. Shikamaru watched Aisa and though she couldn't see, she must have felt his eyes on her. She turned towards him.

"Something on your mind?" she asked.

"Yeah. Earlier, when you pushed Ino and Choji out of the way, you got a gash to your left shoulder, that was bleeding pretty bad." Shikamaru said, making the others turn to look at the apparently uninjured Aisa. "Where's all the blood now?"

All eyes fell to Aisa's left shoulder. Upon first look, it looked like she was uninjured. A closer look revealed the thin line of a gash...but there wasn't a drop of blood in sight. Aisa reached up to touch her left shoulder, herself, one figure tip tracing the cut.

"I do know a little medical ninjutsu, you know." Aisa replied.

"But that would have healed the cut, not just make the blood vanish. It wasn't medical ninjutsu, was it?" Shikarmaru asked.

"Huh...I wonder about that." Aisa said in reply.

With that, she turned on her heel and started walking away, as if the conversation no longer held her interest.

"You didn't actually answer." Shikamaru called after her.

"And I'm not going to." Aisa called back. "Let it go, kid. I'm less likely to break than a steel dam and you're trying to make a mountain out of nothing."

Kakashi and Yamato looked at each other. Neither of them doubted that if Aisa didn't want to tell them something, she wouldn't. It wasn't very productive to a teamwork building atmosphere, but every shinobi had their secrets. Aisa was no different.

If only they knew **what** Aisa kept a secret.

-0-0-0-0-

"Excellent work everyone. Don't get complacent, though. There are still Akatsuki to deal with. For now, though, you can all take a break. You've earned it."

Earned it, she said.

Aisa wanted to laugh in Tsunade's face. She knew damn well that she wasn't going to ever get a real break. Not with protecting Naruto as her job. When they had returned, all of them had reported to Tsunade and Naruto was sent to the hospital to get his injuries checked. Tsunade dismissed the rest of them, insisting that Aisa remain. Aisa could feel the stares of the others on her as they left the room. When the door closed, Tsunade turned to Aisa.

"Well?" Tsunade asked.

"What do you expect me to say, Tsuna-nee?" Aisa asked. "You heard the report."

"I want to know if you had to use **it**." Tsunade told her.

"Do you see any on me?" Aisa asked, cryptically.

"Aisa." Tsunade said in warning, making Aisa heave a sigh.

"Not noticeably." Aisa replied.

"I would rather you didn't use it at all." Tsunade grumbled.

"Would you also rather I walk around stumbling into people and crashing into things like a fool?" Aisa asked.

"You could remove the visor." Tsunade told her.

"You know why I can't, Tsuna-nee. Its one of the same reasons why you don't want me using **that**." Aisa replied.

Tsunade frowned, seeing her point in this. Some things really were better kept a secret and when it came to Aisa's secrets...they were secrets worth keeping. Better for the whole village, and especially Aisa, that they never come to light. She heaved a sigh and leaned back in her chair. They would just have to confront any issues as they arose.

"Well, you're back in the village, so take a break for now. Naruto will be safe as long as he remains in the village." Tsunade told her.

"Free time...not sure what to do with it in this village." Aisa remarked.

"Find you guy if that will make the time pass." Tsunade suggested.

"Pass. I'll stick to social suicide by hiding in my apartment." Aisa replied.

Tsunade couldn't help but laugh which made Aisa's lips curl in a smile as well. Tsunade dismissed her to go home. With no training and, therefore, no need to meet up with Kakashi, Yamato, and Naruto, Aisa slept in her own bed that night.

The next day found Naruto, with his arm wrapped up and in a sling, Sakura, and Sai, at Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto trying to eat his ramen with his left hand rather than his right. And failing horribly at the task. Kakashi found the three of them there, Sai trying to be a good friend by helping Naruto eat. Naruto wasn't sure how it ended up this way, but Kakashi ended up as the one to feed him his ramen.

"Hey sensei, how come you didn't end up in a hospital bed after this mission?" Sakura asked.

"Is that how you kids think of me then? This is depressing." Kakashi remarked, looking over his shoulder at her. "Well...I guess it's because I didn't have to use my Magekyou Sharingan this time around. If the lot of you hadn't jumped in at that time and if Aisa hadn't bought you those last few seconds, I would have had to use it for sure. And I'd be in a bed right now!"

Though Kakashi laughed, he was the only one laughing. Naruto stared down at his bandaged arm, a solemn look on his face. Kakashi had gone to speak with Tsunade after she had had a chance to look over Kakuzu's body and she had explained to him that by repeatedly using the Rasenshuriken, it would eventually take away Naruto's ability to use chakra. It was Naruto's first attempt at making his own jutsu. Kakashi could understand him being upset.

"You've come a long way, Naruto. You're at least on equal footing with me...probably even better." Kakashi told Naruto. "But the more powerful the jutsu, greater is the cost to the user...never forget that."

"Yeah." Naruto agreed.

Naruto assured them that he knew his limits and that he could only improve from there. Kakashi was glad to see that Naruto could still be cheerful.

"So, Kakashi-sensei...where's Aisa?" Naruto asked.

"Don't know. I haven't seen her today." Kakashi replied, without thinking.

Then he stopped to think about that and turned to look at Naruto, who was grinning. Exactly what was Naruto getting at?

"What's with that look?" Kakashi asked.

"You and her seemed pretty close the other day. You even had an arm around her." Naruto teased.

"It's not what you're making it out to be." Kakashi assured him.

"What's not what he's making it out to be?"

All four turned when they heard a familiar voice. Asia, dressed in a simple, sleeveless, short cut kimono with the neck left open a little wide, stood behind them, holding one of the flags hung in the opening of the shop, out of her way. She tilted her head to one side.

"Oh! Hey Aisa!" Naruto greeted.

"It's nothing." Kakashi told Aisa, which only caused one of her eyebrows to rocket up.

"If you say so." Aisa replied.

"You want a bowl, Aisa?" Naruto asked, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. "Kakashi-sensei's paying."

"No thanks. I ate just a little while ago. But thanks for the offer." Aisa told him.

"Did you need something?" Kakashi asked, thinking she had come to find them for a reason.

"Not really. Tsuna-nee insist that I can't continue to lock myself away in my apartment and that I need to build relationships, so when I walked by and heard your voices, I just dropped in." Aisa replied.

"Well, Grandma Tsunade's got a point." Naruto told her, getting to his feet.

Kakashi paid for their food and he, Sakura, and Sai followed Naruto and Aisa out. Naruto stopped, pulling Aisa to a stop, when he was confronted with two Konohamarus.

"So you finally learned the Shadow Clone jutsu." Naruto remarked.

Kakashi came to a stop beside Aisa, Sai to his other side and Sakura on Aisa's left. Aisa tilted her head, wondering what was going on.

"Alright..show me how much you've improved! Let's go!" Naruto called.

"Here I come, Naruto-niichan!" Konohamaru called.

Aisa was a little grateful she couldn't actually see what was going on. She had a feeling she would be highly insulted as a woman. When Konohamaru and his clone turned into two naked women, Naruto yelled something about the boy being a genius. Sakura freaked out, as any woman would, Kakashi was taken a little off guard, and Sai had no reaction at all. Aisa just shook her head.

"How was that!? I get the two girls, then I make 'em-"

Konohamaru was cut off as Sakura walked past Naruto and punched the younger boy in the gut.

"I don't think we need an explanation. Is this all you two do when you hang out!?" Sakura demanded, turning to Naruto.

"Ease up...that technique's an excellent distraction. Plus it's kind of a contest the two of us have." Naruto told her.

"Sounds like a waste of time and energy to me." Aisa remarked.

"I agree! All you're doing is making your stupid perverted technique even worse! And a distraction!? The only people who'd fall for that are the two of you!" Sakura snapped.

As if to prove a point that it could be used to distract others as well, Konohamaru summoned another clone and transformed himself and the clone into a naked Sasuke and a naked Sai. This time it was Sakura who was yelling that the boy was a genius and it was Naruto who was grossed out. Kakashi was more disgusted than surprised this time and Sai's only reaction was to point out that it was him and Sasuke.

"You know...I'm so glad I can't see." Aisa remarked.

This time it was Naruto that hit Konohamaru, making the boy undo his jutsu.

"I don't wanna see nasty crap like that!" Naruto snapped.

"And yet, you were all hyped up when it was two women." Aisa remarked.

"That's different!" Naruto told her.

"Not really." Aisa assured him.

Sakura, who had been caught falling for the same distraction as Naruto, tried to cover for herself, insisting that she wasn't into that kind of stuff. Not that any of the males around them were buying it. And Aisa really didn't care what Sakura was and was not into.

"Birds of a feather flock together." Konohamaru remarked.

"You better not be including me in that." Aisa told him.

Konohamaru looked up at Aisa as she put her hands on her hips. To him, she was an intimidating presence. He instantly started waving his hands in front of him, shaking his head.

"Not at all!" he insisted.

Hearing the unease in his voice, Aisa turned in Kakashi's direction, raising a confused eyebrow at him. What had she done to make the young boy so uneasy? Kakashi wasn't going to be the one to tell her that she made most people feel that way.

After finally getting everyone calm, Naruto took off with Konohamaru, Sakura and Sai going their own ways as well, leaving Aisa alone with Kakashi. Walking side by side, down the street, Kakashi looked down at Aisa.

"Do you not like ramen?" Kakashi asked, suddenly.

"Huh? What makes you ask that?" Aisa asked.

"You turned down Naruto's offer when it's clear that you're hungry. I could hear your stomach growl." Kakashi replied.

Aisa pressed a hand to her stomach as it let out another growl. The moment she had smelled the ramen in the shop, it had started protesting it's empty state, demanding that she fill it.

"It's not that I dislike ramen. I don't." Aisa told him.

Kakashi looked down at her, raising an eyebrow. If that wasn't the case, then why had she denied her stomach and had turned Naruto down?

"Then what is it?" he asked.

"I don't normally like to let others pay for something for me. Even if my savings are tight. I was raised on a you-don't-work-you-don't-eat mentality, so letting someone else pay for a meal, especially when it was his student offering and not him, himself, just doesn't feel right to me." Aisa explained.

Considerate. A quality that was a little lacking in his team since everyone from Sakura to Naruto, to even Kakashi, himself, tried to pin the bill off on someone else when they all ate out together. Kakashi had done it to Yamato a few times, managing to sweet talk him into paying for everyone. It was different to met someone who didn't do that.

A grin curled Kakashi's lips when Aisa's stomach let out another protesting growl.

"Have you ate today?" he asked.

"You know, days off are rare. I've kind of been swept up in errands and work around home, so...no, not really." Aisa replied.

"Well, then, **I'll** extend the offer this time. Let me treat you." Kakashi offered.

"You don't have to do that. I'd rather you didn't." Aisa argued.

"Consider it team bonding and a reward for helping me out with that fire element masked creature." Kakashi countered.

Aisa couldn't really argue with that. Tsuande had insisted that she need to bond with her teammates and Kakashi was offering just that. Not to mention that he was making out to be a prize for work well done. Aisa had a feeling, though, that Kakashi knew he had cornered her with that argument. Kakashi watched as she reached up and fiddled with the strap on her visor for a moment before she let out a barely audible sigh.

"You have me in a corner there. Alright." Aisa agreed.

Kakashi had figured he could get her with that argument and he had a feeling that the fiddling with the strap of her visor was a sign of Aisa's unease or discomfort. Possibly even embarrassment. He'd have to keep an eye out for that sign in the future. For now, he focused on her agreement. Knowing Aisa's inclination to sweets, he chose a place that was well known for it's deserts as well as it's good food. The moment they were sitting, Aisa shifted, her head tilting from one side to the other.

"Uncomfortable?" Kakashi asked as they waited for someone to come take their order.

"Not exactly. I usually eat at home...alone. Everything about crowds is a little...disorienting, for me." Aisa admitted.

"You lived alone before moving here?" Kakashi asked.

"Except for the occasional ninja hound and my pack...yeah."

"Pack?" Kakashi asked.

"I'll explain another time." Aisa promised. "It's just...it's easier...being alone, I mean. No one to worry about but myself, no one to clean up after, no one to get angry at...no one to stab me in the back."

"Yet you came when the Hokage called you." Kakashi remarked.

"I did. Tsuna-nee is just about the only family I have that hasn't shunned me because I don't fit into their ideal, perfect family. She's always been there when I needed her. And considering my long list of miss-ups...that's a lot." Aisa said, heaving a sigh with the last statement.

Basically, what Kakashi had just learned, was that Aisa was wary of the world, of people in general. For what reason, he didn't yet know. Yet, despite that wariness, she was capable of latching onto others and caring a great deal. It was just a matter of getting over that first great hurtle.

Trust.

Their conversation was called to a temporary halt as a woman came to take their order. Aisa let Kakashi order for them, assuring him that she was fine with just about anything. Kakashi put in the order, turning back to look at Aisa as the waitress walked away.

"You know, every time the two of us are together, we only talk about me. Talk about yourself for once." Aisa said.

"If the Hokage walked you through my file, there shouldn't be anything for me to tell you." Kakashi replied.

"There are a lot of things a file doesn't cover, Hatake-san. Like why Naruto calls you a closet perv, for starters."

Kakashi hung his head. Just when he had thought the opinions his students had of him couldn't get any lower. And Naruto had to spread that opinion to Aisa of all people.

"Is it because of those books that Jiraiya-oji writes? I remember Naruto mentioning that you read them." Aisa remarked.

"Jiraiya-oji?" Kakashi repeated.

"Tsuna-nee is my cousin. I'm well acquainted with him and what he does in his spare time, and have been since I was little. To me, he is like an uncle. A perverted and somewhat childish uncle, but an uncle nonetheless." Aisa explained.

Kakashi reached up to scratch at one, mask covered cheek. He suppose that was the reason Naruto called him that. It wasn't like he really paid that much attention to the women around him.

"I suppose that's it." Kakashi said with a sigh.

"A sigh, huh? Let me guess...they use to be so amazed by the littlest things you did and now they're desensitized and never react in awe." Aisa said.

"Yeah." Kakashi confessed.

"That's what happens as kids grow up in the shinobi way. They might be awed at first, but that fades as time goes on." Aisa remarked.

And didn't he know it. He use to be able to amaze Naruto and Sakura so easily and now a days, they never seemed amazed by anything he did. A small laugh made him look up. Aisa was trying to hide a smile behind one hand, her shoulders shaking slightly with the attempt to contain laughter. It surprised him since he hadn't seen her laugh before, had barely seen her smile.

"I'm sorry, it's just...you sound so depressed by the thought." Aisa told him.

And that was a reason to laugh at him? Somehow...Kakashi felt even more depressed. He was saved from having to reply to that comment when the waitress came back with their order. Once their food was sat before them and the woman had left, Aisa turned her face towards Kakashi.

"Tsuna-nee told me the prognosis of Naruto's arm. All that training and work and he can't use the jutsu?" Aisa asked.

"Stronger jutsu have greater risks." Kakashi told her.

"I know that. I have my fair share of jutsu that could be risky to use a great number of times. By the time most shinobi reach our rank, they have one or two jutsu like that. Comes with the territory. Naruto just doesn't seem like the type to listen in a case like this." Aisa remarked.

"You might have a point." Kakashi agreed.

Naruto could be quite the stubborn person and in her short time in the village, Aisa had picked up on that. Kakashi just hoped that, in this situation, Naruto would use a little common sense.

"Please tell me we're not going to have to protect Naruto from himself, as well as others." Aisa remarked.

"Hopefully that won't be the case." Kakashi told her.

"Hope all you want, but...Naruto doesn't seem like the type to regularly practice common sense."

And once again, Aisa had a point. All they could do was be there to help steer Naruto away from the idea. When it came to Konoha's Number One Knuckle Headed Ninja...that wasn't always easy.

Kakashi and Aisa finished their meal and Kakashi got to watch Aisa's cheeks flush and a smile curl her lips as she took her first bite of her dessert. Needless to say, her dessert was gone before Kakashi could even take two bites of his. Aisa thanked him for treating her as they got ready to leave. It was growing dark outside by the time they left the shop and Kakashi offered to walk Aisa home. She didn't have a problem with it and the two fell into step, side by side. For a while they passed the walking in silence. When Aisa finally spoke, it was to ask a question he hadn't expected to come from her.

"Hatake-san...what color is your hair?"

Kakashi looked down at her in surprise. She had her head tilted towards him, waiting for his answer.

"Why are you asking?" he asked.

"While I can build a picture of my surroundings and those in it through my various methods...the image lacks color. It'll help better complete that image for me. Please, humor me." Aisa replied.

"It's silver." Kakashi answered.

"And your eyes? I know the left one holds the Sharingan, but what color are your eyes naturally?" Aisa asked.

"Grey." Kakashi replied.

Aisa let out a low laugh. Kakashi looked down at her, wondering what she was laughing about now. As if sensing his questioning gaze on her, she smiled slightly.

"For lack of a better pun...I suppose that's why people call you steely." she retorted.

It was a horrible pun, really, it was, but it made him smile nonetheless.

"That really was a bad pun." he told her.

"Well, I did say for the lack of a better pun." Aisa replied.

Kakashi didn't know what it was, but her bad pun was just funny. But wasn't that always the way? The horribly bad puns were always the funniest. They arrived at Aisa's apartment then and he waited at the bottom of the stairs as she headed up. At the landing in front of her door, just after unlocking the door, she turned back and leaned over the rail.

"One last thing, Hatake-san." she called down.

Kakashi looked up at her, voicing a questioning noise in reply. A somewhat sly, little smile curled her lips. She pointed to a spot just under the left corner of her mouth.

"I like the beauty mark." she told him.

Kakashi stared at her in shock. No one knew he had a beauty mark and yet she knew the exact location of it. He tried to voice his shock, stumbling over his words, but Aisa just smiled, as if the whole thing truly amused her.

"With the jutsu I use, a mask isn't going to hide from me what your face looks like. Good night, Hatake-san." she called down.

With that, Aisa turned and vanished into her apartment. Kakashi stood there for a long moment, just staring at her closed door. During their fight with Kakuzu, he had seen the spider web like layout of chakra lines that spread out around Aisa, acting like a mapping system to tell her what was around her. Did those lines even map out the people around her from head to toe? Kakashi heaved a sigh. Aisa really was something different and he was starting to wonder if he would be able to keep anything from her.

He had a feeling the answer would be no.

END

Kyandi: I would have loved to have seen Kakashi's face at a moment like that.

Aisa: I'm sure you would. You would have probably been dying of laughter too.

Kyandi: You know me so well!

Aisa: Sadly.

Kyandi: Well that wasn't nice.

Aisa: I never said I was nice.

Kyandi:...Good point. Everyone, please review and enjoy.

Aisa: We shall return as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	8. Unease

Kyandi: Greetings all!

Aisa: We apologize for taking so long.

Kyandi: I've been working on updates for most of my stories.

Aisa: Now that she has finished most of them, we are bring them to all of you.

Kyandi: Right! So since I have like, literally, fifteen chapters to update for various stories, I'm going to jump right into all of this.

Aisa: Should be interesting.

Kyandi: Yep, because with this chapter, I introduce a new spin to the story.

Aisa: Oh, I know what you mean.

Kyandi: Right. So everyone, enjoy and review.

Aisa: Kyandi-sama does not own Naruto.

Chapter 8 Unease

Early a few mornings later, Shizune dropped by Aisa's apartment, finding the girl in an apron splattered with grey, white, and dark blue paint and standing in front of an easel. Aisa had left her balcony door open, allowing Shizune to step into her living room from the balcony instead of standing at her front door. The moment Shizune stepped into the room, Aisa was sitting down her paint palette and paint brush and was covering the painting currently on the easel.

"You're painting again?" Shizune asked in surprised.

Aisa had once been the most beautiful painter Shizune had known, but when she had put on the visor for the first time, she had reframed from ever touching her paints again. It was almost like she had lost her will to paint anymore and it had made Shizune and Tsunade, both, very sad to see Aisa give up something that had brought her great peace when she was younger. It actually had a little hope blooming in Shizune to see Aisa covered in paint once more.

"I had a sudden urge." Aisa replied, lighting running fingers over the edge of the covered canvas, careful not to touch the center.

"How do you know what you are painting if you can't see?" Shizune asked, curious.

"I'm using special paint with tiny pieces of broken up crystal in it. Those tiny pieces allow me to pick up the lines I'm painting with my jutsu." Aisa replied. "Did you need something?"

"My lady wants to see you." Shizune told her as Aisa took off and hung up the apron, going to the sink to wash the paint off of her hands.

"About?" Aisa asked, as she scrubbed the paint off.

"The information you sent over last night."

Aisa paused, half turning to somewhat face Shizune. As part of her job, Aisa, who had connections in just about every country due to her long travels over the last few years, had been collecting information on the Akatsuki and Sasuke alike, seeking the information from every one of her sources. She had received some information from a few sources the night before and had sent it straight to Tsunade.

"Alright. Ihai, be good." Aisa told the puppy, who was currently laying on his bed, eyes closed.

The puppy didn't even bother to open his eyes. He merely let out a small, half muffled woof and rolled over, nuzzling under his little doggie blanket until his head was covered. Aisa shut the balcony door and they left through the front door, Aisa locking the door behind her. When they arrived back at Tsunade's office, Jiraiya was there. The man looked up when Shizune announced that Aisa was there, and grinned the moment he saw Aisa.

"Well if it isn't little Aisa. You've grown." Jiraiya said in greeting.

"Hello to you too, Jiraiya-oji. It's been a long while since we last met." Aisa greeted.

"It has. Do you have to call me like that? Can't you call me in a cuter way? Come on~! Give me something cute!" Jiraiya asked.

Aisa ignored him, turning her attention to Tsuande instead. She had learned a long time ago that the best way to handle Jiraiya was just to ignore him. If she tried to justify his words with a response, sooner or later, he would lead her to wanting to strangle him. Or hit him over the head with a chair. Either way, it didn't turn out pretty for him.

"You needed me?" Aisa asked, leaving Jiraiya pouting.

"Yes. We're waiting on Naruto and Sakura first." Tsunade told her.

"Fun." Aisa remarked, not questioning it.

Aisa walked over to one of the windows and perched herself on the wide sill. She crossed her legs, propping an elbow on her knee and dropping her chin into her hand. Knowing Sakura, she would have Naruto out of his house and to the office in no time. They waited a short moment before Sakura showed up with Naruto in tow. Naruto's arm was now out of it's cast and was simply wrapped. Aisa was glad that he was healing so fast.

"You're late!" Tsunade said when they showed up. "What kept you so long!? Seriously!"

"Easy, Tsunade..." Jiraiya told her.

"I-I'm sorry...Naruto was eating lunch...er, breakfast, and-"

"Huh? Pervy Sage's here, too? And Aisa?" Naruto asked, cutting off Sakura.

"Hey, Naruto! How have you been?" Jiraiya asked, as Aisa simply waved a hand in greeting to Naruto and Sakura.

"So, ummm...what did you want to speak to us about?" Sakura asked.

"Well...Information has been coming in from other countries and Aisa has been gathering information from her own connections. I want to discuss it with you." Tsunade said.

Naruto and Sakura looked at Aisa before turning back to look at Tsunade and Jiraiya. They knew Aisa had traveled a lot before coming to their village, so it was no surprise to them that she had her own connections outside of the village from which she could get information.

"What is it, what is it?" Naruto asked.

"Orochimaru died. And it seems Uchiha Sasuke was the one who killed him." Tsunade told them.

"Wha..se...seriously!?" Naruto asked.

"It's definitely true. My most reliable sources confirmed it." Jiraiya said.

"Same here. Every single source I have, is feeding me the same information and there's quite a few of them. For them all to agree...is has to be true." Aisa agreed.

"Then that means..."

Sakura trailed off, tears in her eyes. Naruto folded his arms behind his head and laughed, clearly happy with the news.

"I knew that freak wouldn't be able to take Sasuke down! So Sasuke's coming back to Konoha now, right? Right?" Naruto asked.

Neither Tsunade nor Aisa said anything, though Tsunade glanced over at Aisa. The silence wiped the smile off of Naruto's face. Nothing good ever came out of silence.

"Doesn't look like it." Jiraiya replied.

Silence spread, if only for a minute. It was like the silence before the storm. Aisa could almost feel the anger and outrage building up in Naruto before he exploded.

"What the hell do you mean!?" Naruto demanded, loudly. "Why not? How could he not come back now that Orochimaru's gone!?"

"Sasuke is obsessed with getting revenge. He'll try to find Akatsuki so he can kill his brother Itachi." Jiraiya told him.

"That bastard again...damn him!" Nartuo snapped. "We need to form a platoon and move out right now! The mission to hunt down Akatsuki is still going on, right?"

"Yeah..." Tsunade replied.

"To get to Sasuke, we need to go after the member of Akatsuki we've got the best chance of finding." Sakura remarked.

"In other words, we need to find Uchiha Itachi." Nartuo said.

Tsunade heaved a sigh, moving to sit on her desk, crossing her legs. She glanced at Aisa, who had yet to move from her window sill. The part of Aisa's face that Tsunade could see, was set in a blank, calm look that did nothing to tell Tsunade what Aisa was thinking behind that visor of hers.

"Uchiha Itachi, eh...what about him?" Tsunade asked.

"If we can just capture one member of Akatsuki, we can turn them over to Ibiki-san and let him extract whatever information he can get." Sakura said.

"I did order each squadron to make every effort to take members of Akatsuki alive, if they encountered any..." Tsunade remarked.

"Unfortunately, they're not very easy to talk to. If you look at our previous encounters with them, capturing them was either too dangerous or not an option."

Aisa's head tilted towards the door, where Kakashi now stood, leaning against the frame. She had been so focused on the conversation, she hadn't noticed him approaching the room. Usually he was hard for her to miss, and, that alone, showed just how focused on the conversation she had been at the moment.

"Then what're we suppose to do!?" Naruto demanded.

"Well, the only thing we can do is do our best to find Itachi, right?" Kakashi asked, entering the room.

"So you want to hunt down Itachi in order to find Sasuke. Let's say you actually find Itachi. What're you gonna do then?" Tsunade asked.

"Well, we can't do anything with just a single platoon." Kakashi replied.

"What's that suppose to mean!?" Nartuo demanded.

"If we kill Itachi, Sasuke will no longer have a target. So our only choice is to capture him. And to do that, we'll need to have several platoons deployed at the same time." Sakura explained.

"Exactly. Although in reality, one team of two platoons would be ideal. When you've only got one or two people to apprehend, having three or more teams makes it easier for them to spot you, and the chain of command becomes much more complex." Kakashi said.

"Plus, you need a lot more technique to capture someone than you do to kill them. Communication is also vital, so you'll want a squad that's been on a lot of missions together." Jiraiya added.

"I agree. In fact, I've already picked a team that I think fits that description perfectly. In, everyone." Kakashi said, turning towards the door.

The door opened once more and in stepped Yamato with Sai, Hinata, Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru behind him. With the addition of the others, the final plans were laid out as Kakashi explained the plan he had come up with. The whole while, while the others talked over the plans for the mission, Aisa remained silent, not even moving.

"Then we're going to hunt down Itachi!" Naruto said, glad to have something to do.

"Count me out."

All eyes turned to Aisa then as she slid off the sill and back onto her feet. Some of them had forgotten she was there, she had been so quiet, and now that she had spoken, they all turned to her in surprise. Naruto was even a little mad. It was not what they had expected her to say when she finally spoke up.

"Aisa, what are you talking about!?" Naruto asked.

"I made it very clear, from the very beginning, that if it has anything to do with Itachi or Sasuke...I'm not helping. Information is one thing, but I will not help hunt them down." Aisa replied.

Her tone was very firm, indicating that it was a decision that she wouldn't easily be talked out of. Though, she didn't bother to explain why it was a decision she had made in the first place.

"But, why?" Naruto demanded.

Aisa didn't answer. She firmly shut her mouth and didn't say anything else. That only made Naruto even more angry. He snapped her name again, but Aisa still didn't say a word. She merely crossed her arms over her chest in a somewhat defensive manner. Naruto turned to Tsunade then.

"Grandma Tsunade!"

"There's nothing I can do, Naruto. Part of the deal for her to come to the village was that I could not make her join any missions involving Uchiha Itachi or Uchiha Sasuke." Tsunade told him, giving him an apologetic look.

Naruto stared at Tsunade in disbelief before whipping around to face Aisa once more. All he could think to ask, was "why".

Why did she refuse?

Why was it simply just because of Sasuke and Itachi?

Why did they even matter to her?

As far as Naruto knew, the two brothers had never met Aisa. They had been raised in the village, she had not. Then again, Itachi had left after he killed his clan and Sasuke had been gone for about four years. They could have met her before, but that still didn't explain why Aisa was so firm in this.

It wasn't like they were family or like she was in love with either of them.

"I won't help, Naruto. You'll have to go without me." Aisa said.

With that, she turned and left the room, her pale hair trailing out behind her.

-0-0-0-0-

"You're late."

As the multi-colored, see through, halogram form of Itachi and Kisame came into view, those words were the first thing to greet them from Pain.

"We just caught the jinchuuriki a moment ago. We had to take a few extra precautions to make sure he wouldn't get away." Kisame replied.

"Good. It looks like everyone's here." Pain said.

Kisame's eyes scanned the other halogram forms gathered around them, counting as he did.

"What about Hidan and Kakuzu?" Kisame asked.

"They're dead." Pain replied.

"Really? Haha...so the "Zombie Twins" are dead, eh? I wish I could've seen how they were killed." Kisame joked.

"Don't talk about your comrades like that." Pain scolded.

"Who got them?" Kisame asked, not caring.

Why should he care? It wasn't like any of them were truly that close. They just all happened to be working towards the same goal.

"Leaf ninja." came the higher voice of Zetsu's two voices, the deeper one adding, " **It was Kakashi and the nine-tails jinchuuriki again**."

"They're strong, aren't they? No wonder you got beat up, Deidara-senpai." Tobi said cheerfully.

"Tobi!" Deidara snapped. "If I had to keep my patience with you in a bag, it'd be bursting at the seams! Say another word and I'll make you wish you were never born!"

"Haha...you patience in a bag? Like your bag of exploding clay? No wonder you have such a short temper." Tobi joked.

"Tobiiiii! I'm gonna kill y-"

"Shut up, Deidara, unless you want to prove Tobi right." Pain said, cutting off Deidara.

Deidara turned to look at him. He couldn't argue with Pain, despite still being angry, so he simply growled, glaring in Tobi's direction. Tobi laughed in reply to the growl. Pain turned his eyes to Tobi then.

"And you, Tobi. You always take things one step too far. You're making your seniors angry." Pain told him.

"Right, right! I'm very sorry!" Tobi declared.

"How do you expect us to catch all the jinchuuriki if you keep goofing around!" Kisame scolded, though it didn't really sound like he meant it. "Anyways...I'd like to seal the four-tails as soon as possible."

"Hang on, I've got other things to talk about." Pain told him.

"What?" Kisame asked.

"Someone else has been killed." Pain said.

Curious, Kisame asked who. As far as he could tell, no one else was missing from their numbers. They were all there.

"Orochimaru."

And that was a surprise.

"It's been ten years since he left Akatsuki...I suppose his time finally came, eh? Whoever killed him must have been something else. Who was it?" Kisame asked.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Kisame glanced at Itachi, who remained silent.

"Heh...impressive. You must be proud of your little brother, Itachi." Kisame remarked.

Itachi didn't reply to it. Instead, Zetsu spoke up, his white side remarking that Sasuke had gathered up some rather troublesome underlings that could cause them problems. Kisame questioned how.

"You should know one of them...one of the Hidden Mist's Houzuki brothers." Pain told him.

"Suigetsu? Now that takes me back." Kisame said.

"Juugo of Tenpin is with him as well. Itachi and Kisame, you two need to stay alert. They're probably going after you two. Everyone else, remember what I've told you about Uchiha Sasuke. If he learns too much about Itachi and Kisame he may try to disrupt Akatsuki's plans." Pain said.

"Hey Kisame, what's the deal with that Suigetsu guy you mentioned?" Deidara asked.

"I last saw him ten years ago...cute kid, always smiling. He'd always chop the limbs off his enemies, before beheading them. People called him the second coming of "Zabuza the Devil". A child prodigy in the art of murder." Kisame replied.

"They sound like an interesting bunch.." Deidara remarked.

From there, they moved on to sealing the four tails, changing locations in order to do so. When they were done and the beast was sealed, Deidara spoke, asking what they should do next. When asked what he meant, he explained.

"Do we go after Kakashi and the nine-tails jinchuuriki? Or Uchiha Sasuke?" Deidara asked.

"Oh...let's just forget about it, then. We're both done with our missions, right?" Tobi asked.

"Gimme a break. I still owe the nine-tails jinchuuriki a good punch in the face, and Kakashi blew my right arm off. And since I was suppose to kill Orochimaru, I have a beef with Uchiha Sasuke, too." Deidara remarked.

"There is something else you should know." came the higher one of Zetsu's voices.

"And what's that?" Deidara asked.

" **The Leaf has recently called in an outside shinobi to protect the nine-tails**." answered Black Zetsu.

"An outside shinobi?" Kisame questioned.

"A konochi with white hair and who wears a solid visor over her eyes." White Zetsu said.

" **Her name is** -"

"Noroi Aisa."

Everyone turned to Itachi when he cut off Black Zetsu, confidently giving the girl's name without anymore information than that.

" **He's correct**." Black Zetsu confirmed.

"And how'd you know that?" Deidara asked, looking at Itachi.

"I know her. Have since she was a child. She's a strong shinobi. Strong with an arsenal of jutsu that is hard to find these days. A shinobi of rare talent." Itachi said. "But not one I have to concern myself with, nor do I want to."

"And why is that?" Pain asked.

"Because...we made a deal. She doesn't come after me, I leave her be. She won't have anything to do with anything involving me or Sasuke as long as I have the information I have. That's all there is to it."

-0-0-0-0-

"Aisa!"

Aisa, now standing outside the Hokage's office, shielded from the sudden rain by the over hanging, heaved a sigh when she heard Naruto behind her. She knew this was going to happen. Naruto just couldn't take no for an answer.

"I'm not helping, Naruto." Aisa said without turning around.

"Why not!?" Naruto demanded.

"Because." was all she said.

"Because why?" he asked.

"Just because."

"Tell me!"

"No."

"Aisa!"

Aisa couldn't take it anymore. He was pushing and pushing and she didn't like it in the least. Every person had that one thing they would and wouldn't do and Aisa had her reasons. She just couldn't share those reasons. So, in annoyance and a little fear that they would go digging for answers, Aisa turned on Naruto.

"I won't! Just drop it, Naruto! Everyone has something they won't do and I have my reasons. I don't have to share them with you." Aisa said tightly.

Naruto stood there in surprise. Aisa never lost her cool. She never snapped, she never raised her voice, and she certainly didn't speak with the tiny bit of fear he could hear in her voice. And she heard it for she quickly calmed herself, letting the tension in her shoulders relax. She turned back around to present him with her back.

"Besides...the rain interferes with the jutsu that allows me to navigate my surroundings. I would be of no use to you." Aisa added.

"If you think I'll fall for that crap, you're wrong! There's no way you would leave your ability to get around to just one thing that could be so easily messed with!" Naruto snapped in reply.

Aisa heaved a sigh. She barely noticed that Kakashi and the others were standing just inside the door, giving them some semblance of privacy. Aisa knew then that Naruto wasn't going to let this go and the others weren't going to stop him. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't tell them why she couldn't go with them, couldn't even begin to explain it. If she tried...Aisa couldn't do it. It was something from her past that she just didn't want to bring up.

And to try to explain what the Uchiha brothers were to her?

No, she couldn't.

But she knew Naruto well enough to know that he wasn't about to let this go. She only had two choices at hand. Either refuse to go and subject herself to constant questioning for possibly months to come, or agree to go and have Naruto drop the subject for the time being. Aisa didn't want to go anywhere near Itachi. Sasuke she could handle. But Itachi...there was so many reasons why she couldn't go after him. Finally, inwardly, she sighed.

 _I'll have to do it this way. I don't have a choice and they'll hate me for it later_ , she thought before turning towards Naruto.

"If I agree to go with you, will you drop the subject?" Aisa asked.

Naruto chewed on his lip. He really wanted to know why Aisa had been against in to begin with, but he wanted her to go with them even more. Just like Aisa had a choice, he now had one. Heaving a sigh and blowing an annoyed raspberry, he let his shoulders sag. Aisa knew the moment she heard that noise that she had won...for now.

"Fine!" Naruto snapped.

Kakashi watched as some of the tension in Aisa's shoulders, loosened. He was sure the others couldn't tell, but he could. The moment Sasuke and Itachi had been mentioned, he had noticed that Aisa's muscles had tightened instantly, as if the whole conversation was instantly going against something ingrained into her very being. It was an automatic response whenever Itachi or Sasuke were brought up in any conversation.

It made Kakashi so curious as to what Aisa's connection to the brothers was. But he knew it wasn't a question that Aisa was going to answer. She had agreed to go on the mission, but Kakashi had a feeling that she wasn't going to be in it one hundred percent. For that reason alone, Kakashi wanted to protest her joining them, but Naruto seemed to just be relieved that she was going. Kakashi would just have to keep an eye on her.

Just then, as if hearing his doubting thoughts about her, Aisa turned towards him, her face turning in his direction despite not being able to see him. Her mouth twisted slightly as if she knew exactly what he was thinking, but she said nothing, just turned back to Naruto.

Something about the way she held herself, spoke of guilt.

Kakashi had a very bad feeling about this.

-0-0-0-0-

"We sure got stuck with some lousy weather, huh?"

Even as Kakashi said this, he turned to look at Aisa, who had a deep frown etched onto her face, Ihai sticking his head out of her cloak hood. It was clear that she hated rain, especially by the way she kept pulling her hood forward to try to keep the rain off her face. But she wouldn't complain, Kakashi knew. Aisa was a shinobi after all, and they didn't complain. Well...some did, but Aisa wasn't usually among them.

"Actually, I think the rain might help our resident hot-head cool off." Kiba remarked.

"Well, it doesn't help me." Aisa muttered lowly.

Well, Kakashi did say usually.

Leaving the village gate behind, they relocated to a roof top some distance from the village.

"Alright then. To start off, we'll make this our starting point, and search the surrounding five kilometers. North, south, east, and west. We'll fan out in all directions." Kakashi explained once they were gathered. "If we don't find anything we'll search out the surrounding five kilometers from another center point, and continue as such."

"Five kilometers...but if we fan out that far, we can't use our wireless communication devices, right? And if that happens, we'll be isolated and that'll definitely be bad news." Sakura protested. "For patrols, it's recommended that we move in two-man teams at the very least, in case we encounter the enemy."

"Sakura, you don't really see it." Yamato told her.

Sakura turned a confused look on Yamato, as Kakashi dropped to one knee, summoning his dog pack to be of assistance to them. Ihai barked in greeting when he saw that Pakkun was among them.

"Our voices can reach much farther than any wireless communication device! We can sense danger the fastest with our noses!" Pakkun said.

"Alrighty, I'll explain the team makeup now. For this mission, you will each have two of my dog summons with you at all times." Kakashi said. "So then, make sure you little kids play nice and get along."

"I'll be fine without them, Hatake-san."

All eyes turned to Aisa as, careful of Ihai in her hood, she dropped to a knee, biting her thumb so that a single drop of blood formed on her skin. With that, she performed a summoning jutsu. Out of the smoke appeared eight large wolves of various colors and sizes. Kakashi now understood what Aisa had meant when she had mentioned a pack during the lunch they had shared.

Two wolves, one a large, pitch black male with white across his eyes like a mask and the other a ghostly white female with black tipped ears, bore necklaces with charms that bore the same tear shaped crest as the bandana around Ihai's neck. The two turned to look at Aisa after scanning those around them.

"Moon Child." the male greeted Aisa.

"Arufa, Omu." Aisa greeted them back.

"Why have you summoned us, Moon Child?" the female wolf, Omu, asked.

"We are searching for Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke and I require your assistance." Aisa told the two.

Omu and Arufa looked at each other. Kakashi could tell that there was a silent question passing between the two wolves, but one glance at Aisa and the set of her mouth, and the two remained quiet about whatever it was they wanted to question.

"I understand. We will accompany you and send one of our own with each group." Arufa said.

"I want Chikara with Naruto's group." Aisa said instantly, gesturing toward Naruto.

One wolf, the largest of the group, raised his head. His pelt was a molt of brown, gold, and a pale, almost cream color while his eyes were a bright gold. He was a large wolf, more muscled then the others and Naruto was sure that it would only take one chomp of his mighty jaws to break a person's arm.

Or rip it off.

"Your ward?" Omu asked, glancing at Naruto.

"Somewhat. Chikara, protect him." Aisa told the large wolf.

Her only answer was a deep grunt before the wolf walked over to Naruto, sniffing at him as he walked around him in circles. When he had Naruto's scent firmly in his nose, he sat next to the large dog of Kakashi's that would be accompanying Naruto and his group as well.

"Bitoku." Aisa called.

A smaller, dark grey, female wolf with pitch black paws, looked up when Aisa called her name, bells ringing from where they were pierced into her ears. She wore a top of mesh made to fit her, covering the front half of her body. She padded over to Aisa, Aisa reaching out to pat her back.

"I want you to go with Sakura. Your temperment will match well with her." Aisa told the wolf.

"As you wish, Moon Child." Bitoku said, trotting over to Sakura.

She greeted Sakura with a bow of her head, repeating her greeting with the two dogs that were assigned to Sakura.

"Kōkatsu." Aisa called next.

A pale grey male with a slim face that appeared sly in appearance and eyes of two difference colors, looked up, fixing one brown and one blue eye on Aisa. A dull red scarf was tied around his neck.

"You'll be with Sai." Aisa told he wolf.

Kōkatsu bobbed his head once and joined Sai, who greeted the wolf with his usual smile. Kōkatsu circled him once, looking him over, before deciding that he was fine with Sai.

"Suterusu, you'll be with Shino." Aisa called out.

A slim, golden brown male wearing a hooded jacket, padded forward, his blue eyes set on Shino. He sniffed Shino once, tilting his head in questioning, but he didn't question Aisa's orders.

"We will go with you, Moon Child." Omu said then.

"No. Omu, I would like you to go with Hatake-san." Aisa argued.

Omu turned, fixing her eerily yellow eyes on Kakashi. Kakashi almost felt like he had accusing eyes set on him, like Omu instantly didn't like him. She stared at him for a moment, one ear flicking before she focused her attention back on Aisa.

"And what? Are you planning to take just the pup hiding in your hood?" Omu asked.

Ihai barked in protest but all it took was one scalding look from Omu and Ihai was cowering back into Aisa's hood.

"No. I will take Arufa and Yuyo." Aisa said.

The remaining female wolf, an elegant looking, white creature with silver markings along her back and pale blue eyes, who wore arm guards on her front legs and a bandana like Ihai's, tied around her neck, looked up when Aisa said her name.

"That will put Sokudo with Kiba and Akamaru." Aisa added.

The last wolf named was a male with tan fur, a white under belly, and black accents around his face. He had one eye missing, an eye-patch covering the empty socket and wore a shirt-like top that bore the same crest as the necklaces around Omu's and Arufa's necks. Without a word, he joined Kiba and Akamaru, greeting them pleasantly.

"Fine then, Moon Child, but I will hear your reasoning later." Omu said before turning to join Kakashi.

Kakashi nodded now that that was settled.

"Kiba, since you have Akamaru, and now Sokudo, I'll take Pakkun." Kakashi said.

"No problem, we're already prepared!" Kiba replied.

"First off, our top priority is to chase after Sasuke's scent, after that, we'll deal with the Akatsuki. Also, if any of you happen to run into either of them, flee for the time being and return here." Kakashi said, raising an arm over his head. "Spread out!"

With the command, everyone scattered. Kakashi glanced over his shoulder, watching as Aisa, with her two wolf companions, headed off in her assigned direction. He really had a bad feeling about letting her go off on her own, with only her own wolves as companions.

He really hoped he was wrong.

END

Kyandi: I actually have spare muse to carry me on into the next chapter.

Aisa: But you can only do that, after you've updated all you have done.

Kyandi: Right, so I'm going to go get that done. But, one thing first.

Aisa: What this time?

Kyandi: If anyone can guess, just from the colors provided, what Aisa is painting, I'll give you a special shout out in my next chapter.

Aisa: Do you think anyone will get it?

Kyandi: The context clues are there in this chapter and the last one. Someone should get it.

Aisa: I guess we'll see.

Kyandi: Right. Everyone, enjoy and review.

Aisa: We'll return as soon as we can.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	9. Warnings and Betrayal

Kyandi: Greetings, Kyandians!

Aisa: Kyandians?

Kyandi: I was trying out names for my fan base.

Aisa: Don't you think that's a little, oh, I don't know...cocky?

Kyandi: I was just trying something new! Jeez!

Aisa: Just stick to your usual greetings.

Kyandi: Yeah, yeah, whatever. Anyway, greetings my lovely readings. I have another chapter for you!

Aisa: Didn't you have something you wanted to say first?

Kyandi: Right! I recently got a review for my latest chapter that had me about to split a side in laughter. It was a simple, short little review, but I just found it so funny.

Aisa: _RainbowxDrugs_ left a review saying, "DAMN AISA DON'T FOLLOW ITACHI OR SASUKE :V I'm going to hit Naruto someday for this".

Kyandi: I don't know why, but I just couldn't help laughing. So thank you, _RainbowxDrugs_ , for making me laugh! With this, everyone enjoy and review.

Aisa: Kyandi-sama does not own Naruto.

Chapter 9 Warnings and Betrayal

Silence.

While usually Kakashi was not uncomfortable with silence, the silence that had spread between him, Pakkun, and Omu, was, without a doubt, uncomfortable. The she-wolf seemed to be highly displeased with the current situation, but it seemed that she wasn't going to go against Aisa's orders. Kakashi glanced in the direction of the wolf as she ran along side him and Pakkun. Her eyes were set forward, her nose forever raised in the air, trying to pick up a scent.

"Omu, is it?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes." Omu replied. "It is the name Moon Child gave me."

Aisa gave her the name? Normally, summons already had a name when a shinobi summoned them. As if sensing what he was thinking, Omu glanced in his direction.

"Our true names, to humans, would sound as nothing more than growls and barks. May the wolf gods of day and night bless her, but Moon Child could not pronounce them. When our contract fell to her, after the passing of her father, she gave each of us a name based on a attribute of ours. My mate and I are Arufa and Omu, the alpha and the omega." Omu explained. "Chikara is strength, Bitoku is virtue, Kōkatsu is cunning, Suterusu is stealth, Yuyo is grace, and Sokudo is speed."

"And you call Aisa, Moon Child." Kakashi added.

"Yes. Not simply because of the color of the hair on her head, mind you." Omu told him.

"There is more of a reason?" Kakashi asked.

"There is. I was there the night Moon Child was born. Her mother was on the move when she went into labor. It was under the light of a full moon that Moon Child came into this world, already howling at the top of her lungs. When she chooses to raise her voice, Moon Child could put any wolf to shame." Omu said, giving her head a shake.

Kakashi couldn't picture it. Aisa never really raised her voice. He couldn't imagine the loudly crying child she had been. Omu glanced at him again, seeing the somewhat thoughtful look on his face. She huffed, almost as if amused, drawing his attention to her.

"Admit it, Masked Man, you are curious about Moon Child." Omu said.

"Is it that obvious?" Kakashi asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"To me, yes, though I doubt Moon Child would ever sense it. She is a sharp girl, for a human, but is completely oblivious when it comes to insight into herself or the interest in her expressed by others." Omu remarked.

"I admit, she is interesting, but it isn't as if I can ask anything of her." Kakashi told Omu.

"Of course not. Moon Child is a tight lipped sort. Even as a child, when she was reckless and wild, she knew how to keep her secrets. I must admit that, while I have always had a fondness for her, I much prefer the way Moon Child is now to how she had been after the death of her family. She considers her actions now where she only spared them a passing thought before." Omu said.

Kakashi glanced at the wolf. Even with Omu being the second source telling him that the Aisa he saw now was different from the girl she had been before, he still couldn't see it.

"If you have a question about her, Masked Man, then ask. I shall answer to the best of my ability." Omu told him then.

Kakashi pondered this. He was curious, without a doubt, but he was also sure that Aisa had assigned Omu to him to keep an eye on him and report back to her. He was highly suspicious of Aisa at the moment, though it couldn't trump his curiosity.

"I would like to know what you think of her." Kakashi replied.

Omu was silent for a moment, as if she was truly trying to think of how to answer that. Finally, she seemed to come to an answer for him.

"She has her moments that will make you question her and her intentions. I assure you, that is not because her intentions are questionable. Her father was like that, too, as was her grandfather and many others in her father's clan. It is something they are simply born with. She is guarded, has been for most of her life, does not easily allow others close. She can be moody, has her insecure moments, and does not have a pack mind set, that is for sure. For her, being alone is best, which is something that could get her killed. She puts the well being of others over her own, could care less about her own survival if she has a job to finish, and has a bad habit of merely accepting it if she truly believes her death is beneficial to those around her. Thankfully, it has not come to that. Despite all of that, if there is one thing above all others, that I have come to know about her, it is that Moon Child, in everything she does, she does it with a reason. And a good one, for that matter. Whatever she may do to make you question her, just remember that she has a very good reason." Omu said finally.

If not for all the negative comments Omu stated about Aisa, Kakashi might have claimed her to be bias. After hearing what she thought of Aisa, though, he couldn't really claim that. Though the part about Aisa accepting death if she thought it for the better of those around her, made him a little uneasy. It basically meant that if it came down to her life being the only thing standing between their well being and their harm, she would allow her life to be forfeited.

He had met plenty of shinobi, over the years, that were the same way, though he had sincerely hoped that Aisa wasn't like that.

"But, despite all of her flaws...you will not find someone more loyal." Omu added in.

Kakashi hoped she was right. He still felt uneasy about Aisa's initial refusal to take part in anything that involved Sasuke and Itachi. He hoped it was just a feeling.

-0-0-0-0-

"Deidara died."

Itachi looked up as the halogram version of Zetsu blinked into existance. The only others present were Kisame and Pain. All three turned towards Zetsu.

"He finally went out with a bang." Zetsu added.

"Ah we lost another member...think he was quite strong." Kisame remarked. "So, which did he lose to? Sasuke or kyuubi's jinchuuriki?"

"Sasuke. But...Sasuke died too."

Itachi was silent as he looked down, lost his thoughts.

"Killed himself along with Sasuke..." Kisame remarked.

"Be grateful of him Itachi. Deidara gave his life to eliminate trouble." Pain told Itachi.

"Hmm...we're forgetting something." Kisame mused.

"Tobi probably died. Deidara exploded with Tobi nearby." Zetsu answered.

"Ah, ya it was Tobi. But he was good at running and he couldn't get away in time...must've been a big jutsu." Kisame said.

"It's fine...a man of that level is easy to acquire. Deidara was special though." Pain replied.

"The ability to turn a gloomy organization cheerful, Tobi was a skilled man at that." Kisame argued.

"I'm going. At least mourn for Deidara quietly." Pain said, instead of replying to that.

With that, Pain and Zetsu both fizzled out of existence, leaving Itachi and Kisame. In silence, the two moved to leave the hideout. The moment they stepped outside, they found it still pouring down rain. Both looked up at the sky from just inside shelter.

"It hasn't let up one bit. It's odd for it to be raining so much here, especially at this time of year." Kisame remarked.

Itachi didn't say anything in reply. He simply stepped out into the rain, letting the drops of water wash over his upturned face.

"We shouldn't stay out here for too long." Kisame remarked.

Still, Itachi didn't answer. One, if they didn't know the young man, could almost mistaken him for mourning the loss of his little brother.

"Look, I'm not sure what you're thinking, and given how ruthless you are, it's strange to say this...but from here, it looks like you're crying." Kisame remarked. "It's certainly a shame about your little brother. You're now the sole member of the Uchiha clan."

"No." Itachi replied, turning to look at Kisame over his shoulder. "He's not dead yet. And besides...the storm has passed."

Sure enough, the rain fizzled out and the clouds cleared from the sky, showing the bright sun in the sky.

"And about time it did. It has been making my day rather difficult."

The sudden voice had the two turning as someone approached them, hood drawn up over their face. Itachi, recognizing the animals that walked along side the figure, knew who it was and, thus, was completely relaxed. Noting that in his partner, Kisame was relaxed as well.

"It has been a long time, Itachi." the voice spoke again.

"It has. What brings you here...Aisa?" Itachi replied.

Reaching up, Aisa brushed the hood of her cloak back, revealing herself. At her sides, Arufa and Yuyo sat, watching the two men in front of Aisa carefully. While Aisa was relaxed and didn't seem troubled approaching the two Akatsuki members, her two wolf companions were not as comfortable as she was.

"How is your eyesight fairing these days, Itachi?" Aisa asked.

"Better than your's." Itachi replied.

Aisa's hand went up to her visor, a small, somewhat curt, laugh leaving her. Alright, so she had walked right into that one. Where Itachi could still, somewhat see, Aisa couldn't see at all and she was sure, was she to remove the visor, that her eyesight would take a while to return. One did not live in total darkness for so long and not suffer coming back into the light.

"I suppose I walked right into that one." Aisa granted.

"Why are you here, Aisa? Is this you going back on our deal?" Itachi asked.

"Nothing of the sort. I may have made some foolish choices in my life, but I am not a fool enough to recant on that deal. The results would not be beneficial to anyone." Aisa replied.

Itachi stared at her, waiting for her to get to the point of answering the question. Though, in and of itself, what she was about to do was basically betrayal, she knew it wasn't like Itachi wouldn't find out soon enough. Aisa had to protect the secrets Itachi held against her. If they were to get out...it wasn't just Aisa's life that would be on the line. It could potentially harm all of those around her. And **that** was something she couldn't allow.

"The Leaf has dispatched a group of shinobi to locate both you and Sasuke. Sasuke preferably, but they will take you if for no other reason than to draw out Sasuke." Aisa told him.

Kisame laughed just then, unable to believe what he was seeing and hearing. Aisa, a Leaf shinobi now, was actually feeding Itachi information that would cause her team's mission to go down the drain.

"You certainly don't seem to have any qualms selling out your village." Kisame remarked.

"What I am doing, in the long run, is beneficial to my village and my team. Call it what you may, but I don't think in terms of villages and their allies and enemies. I am only looking out for those nearest to me." Aisa retorted. "Recanting on this deal will cause them harm. For that alone, my cooperation is the least I can offer, but all I will offer. I will derail my team as much as possible."

Itachi nodded in understanding. This was the only way Aisa would help. She would not fight him or Sasuke and would do her best to avoid a situation in which she would be expected to do such. If that meant leading her team in a wrong direction, she would. It was the reason she had been so against going on the mission in the first place. She knew she would have to do this.

"Does Sasuke get the same warning?" Itachi asked.

"You do want him to find you, right? Then I will do what I can to warn him. I have to keep my team in the dark and I highly doubt, with how close my team is, that Sasuke will continue to go ignorant of their ranks closing in on him." Aisa told him.

"Must be nice having such an obedient pet." Kisame piped in, laughing lowly.

"Better than a pet shark that plays fetch with a spiky sword." Aisa retorted.

"Snippy little thing, isn't she?" Kisame said, good naturally.

Itachi glanced at Kisame but soon return his attention to Aisa. He was well aware that Aisa was no kind of pet. She did what she did merely out of respect for him and the deal they had between them. Aisa wouldn't be doing any of this if she didn't truly and honestly believe it was for the best. He could use that to his advantage.

"You know what to do." Itachi told her.

"I do. But...are you sure? I am aware that you never make a hasty decision, but I honestly question this one. You are aware of what will happen, I know you are, but are you really willing to go through with this?" Aisa asked.

Itachi knew what she was trying to say. Unlike him, she didn't see the point in purposely baiting Sasuke, knowing that, one day, Sasuke would kill him. Whatever their differences may be, Aisa didn't see the point in Itachi rushing to his death. Itachi, personally, didn't see the point behind her purposely crippling herself, either.

"I am. Tell him I am waiting." he answered.

For a moment, Aisa was silent. He could just barely make out the slight twisting of her mouth before she simply raised her shoulders in a shrug, as if it truly didn't matter.

"If you say so. It's your choice." Aisa said, half turning away. "I have a great distance to cover. Come on, Arufa, Yuyo."

With that, Aisa turned and left the way she came, her wolves eyeing the two men before turning to follow her. Itachi watched as Aisa and her wolves vanished from sight in a whirlwind of red. He didn't quite understand Aisa most of the time. Then again, he doubted anyone really understood her. While he understood the general way she thought and acted, sometimes, most of the time, her reasons for doing something, were a complete mystery to him.

Beside him, Kisame laughed to himself. Itachi turned his eyes to his partner, wondering what he found so funny. Kisame just grinned back at him.

"I like her." Kisame remarked.

Of course he did. Kisame liked any kind of challenge and Itachi was sure she would be just that. In fact, he was sure...Aisa would turn Kisame into sashimi. Kisame was strong, he was clever, but when it came the arsenal of jutsu at Aisa's beck and call, as well as the mind that lurked behind her visor...Kisame had nothing on her. If the two were ever to fight, it would be a long and hard battle, but in the end, Aisa would prevail.

She always did.

-0-0-0-0-

"Do you believe that was a good idea, Moon Child?"

Aisa tilted her head in the direction of Arufa's voice. The wolf was somewhere to her left, following close to her side as they jumped through the trees, following Yuyo's nose to Sasuke. Asia didn't have to ask to know what Arufa was referring to.

"What was I suppose to do, Arufa? You know the deal between the two of them and I." Asia replied.

"I do. You and Itachi have carried out this deal for many years now. Well over ten, I do believe." Arufa remarked.

"Yes, that's right." Aisa confirmed.

"While I am aware of the situation you find yourself in, my only concern is, what if your teammates find out?" Arufa said.

Aisa didn't want to think about it. She had tried to back out of the situation, to have no part in any of it, but Naruto simply couldn't let her be. Now she was stuck in this situation and was simply trying to make the best out of something that could, and probably would, turn out to be quite messy in the end.

"That is a bridge I will have to cross when I get to it. For now, we have other things to concern ourselves with. We have to find Sasuke before they do." Aisa replied.

Silence fell between the three as they traveled, Yuyo keeping her nose peeled. While Aisa really dreaded her team finding out about her connection to Itachi and Sasuke, she dreaded breaking her deal with Itachi even more. The former she could recover from, the latter she couldn't. Once that cat was out of the bag, there would be no putting it back in.

She just hoped it didn't come down to that.

-0-0-0-0-

"Naruto!"

Naruto, his team just behind him, landed on the ground in the area where they had seen the big explosion from. They found Sai, Sakura, Kakashi, and Shino, already there with their dogs and wolves at their side.

"Looks like everyone else noticed, too." Yamato remarked.

"What happened here!?" Naruto asked.

"Saskue was right here until a moment ago, we followed his scent!" Sakura told him.

"There are still traces of it left, as well as a bunch of other people's scents." Kiba added.

"So what does that mean for us?" Naruto asked.

"The damage to the surroundings indicates there was a battle, but..." Shino trailed off.

Nartuo didn't like the sound of that but, just then, something else caught his attention. He looked around, turning in place.

"Where's Aisa? She had to have felt the power from that explosion." Naruto remarked.

"She hasn't shown up." Sakura replied.

Which didn't make Kakashi feel very good at this present moment. If she had seen the explosion, she would have made her way there, just like the rest of them. And since the area they were now in, was covered by her area to search, she should have been nearby. Kakashi turned to look down at Omu.

"Could you find out where she is?" he asked.

Omu looked up at him, before she raised her muzzle to the sky. Opening her mouth, she lot a loud howl that had all of them covering their ears. The sound carried off into the distance. For a long moment, Omu just stood there, as if waiting for a reply. Then, Omu's ears perked up, as if picking up something none of them could hear.

"My mate says they have been held up. They thought they had Sasuke's scent, but it turned out to be a dead end." Omu replied. "He says that Moon Child insist you carry on and she will catch up. No use delaying us."

Why did Kakashi feel like something about that was a lie?

"Ah ha!"

One of the dogs suddenly saying that, had them all turning to the canine.

"I recognize one of these other scents mixed with Sasuke. I smelled it back in the town! It looks like Sasuke's travelling with a few people. He's got companions." the dog said.

"That means..."

"Sasuke's probably formed his own platoon." Kakashi finished for Sakura. "Two of these six other scents are Akatsuki, but-"

"Then what're we waiting for!? Aisa said she'd catch up, so let's follow Sasuke's scent!" Naruto demanded.

"We can't unfortunately." Pakkun remarked.

"He has a point." Omu agreed.

"Huh!? Why not?" Naruto asked.

"The trail ends here." Kakashi told him.

"What do you mean, it ends?" Naruto asked.

"One possibility is that he was obliterated by the huge explosion, but he could have also used a space/time ninjutsu to teleport himself somewhere safe." Yamato explained.

"Looks like it's the latter." Kiba said then. "Nowadays, my nose is even better than a ninja hound's, or a ninja wolf's it seems. I found Sasuke."

Relief filled Naruto. It meant that their hunt wasn't over just yet. Omu looked between the humans around her. She turned towards her fellow packmates, a look passing between the wolves that only they could understand. Kakashi caught the look, but he couldn't tell what the hidden message behind it was, though, whatever it was, he was sure it was ordered by Aisa.

"Lead the way, Kiba!" Naruto demanded.

Kakashi glanced towards Naruto before returning his gaze to Omu and the other wolves. He was surprised to find Omu looking at him, a look of resolve in her eyes. Kakashi's bad feeling was only getting worse. He hoped it turned out to be wrong.

-0-0-0-0-

"Are we simply going to remain here, Moon Child?"

Aisa didn't instantly answer Arufa. For the moment, they were remaining up and out of sight and smell of others. From there, they sat back and observed as Naruto and his group moved in on Sasuke, following his scent just like Aisa had. Sensing their approach, one of Sasuke's companions warned Sasuke and he rallied his team to move. Upon leaving the town where they had been bunkered down, the same companion of Sasuke's that had sense the approach of the Leaf shinobi, took a set of Sasuke's torn and bloody clothes and tore them up, sending bits of it out with animals in several directions.

Aisa had to admit, it was a clever plan. Even her wolves and Kakashi's hounds, would have a hard time tracking which one was the real Sasuke. Though, with Naruto and the amount of clones he could create, locating and eliminating which was fake and which was real, was just a matter of time. She would have a small window.

A very small window.

"Let us move, and quickly." Aisa said.

Moving quickly, Aisa, her wolves behind her, jumped from their perch. Karin sensed Aisa before she dropped to land in front of them. Sasuke pulled up short, making his companions come to a stop behind him. One look at the white hair and visor and Sasuke held up a hand in a silent command for his companions to stand down.

"Aisa. I never expected to see you here...or ever again for that matter." Sasuke remarked.

"I would say that's hurtful, Sasuke, if I had not thought the same thing, but circumstances change, don't they?" Aisa replied.

"Sasuke, who is this woman!?" Karin all but screeched, her jealousy at how close Sasuke and Aisa sounded, sounding in her tone of voice.

"She is an old acquaintance." Sasuke replied.

"So I've been down graded to that, have I? How terribly cruel, Sasuke. It seems your tsudere attitude has only worsen with age." Aisa remarked.

Sasuke's look, though she couldn't see it, turned sharp. It wasn't the first time in his life he had heard the phrase "tsudere attitude" from Aisa, though the last time had been years ago, back before his parents were killed.

"Why you...! How dare you speak to him like that!" Karin yelled.

"As much fun as it to allow your companion to screech my ear drums into exploding, I don't have much time, so if you will kindly make her stop, I can deliver the message I have for you and be on my way." Aisa remarked.

Sasuke turned a look on Karin, silencing her before turning back to look at Aisa. He knew she would not come looking for him unless it was important.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked.

"I have spoken with your brother."

Sasuke tensed. Aisa didn't go near Itachi unless it was necessary and even then, she did it reluctantly. She was more likely to approach Sasuke, himself, over Itachi.

"And?" Sasuke asked.

"He's waiting for you. I've derailed my team about as much as I can, though I must admit, using animals to carry strips of your old clothes in order to confuse Hatake-san's ninja hounds...It would be brilliant if Naruto was not apart of the team. By now, his clones are chasing each and every source of your scent. My pack will delay him as they can." Aisa answered.

"I understand." Sasuke replied.

He didn't bother asking why she was taking this risk for him. He knew she wasn't going to ask for anything in return. That wasn't how she worked. So he would accept it and move on. Sasuke continued forward, his companions following him. As he drew even with Aisa, she spoke again.

"I suppose I should wish you luck against Itachi, but I have already voiced my opinion on this matter." Aisa remarked. "To the both of you for that matter."

Sasuke paused and looked at Aisa out of the side of his eyes. He stared at her, but she didn't even bother to turn her face towards him.

"You have a right to say that?" Sasuke asked.

Aisa's mouth twisted. She turned in his direction then, as if she could see him, her face locking in on his. Sasuke half turned to face her as well. Sasuke's companions watched the two as they faced off, wondering if this would come to blows or not.

"It's because of **that** , that I can say that revenge will do nothing for you. I assure you, Sasuke, that you are only going to end up feeling worse when it's all said and done. But it's your life and I can't make your choices for you." Aisa replied. "Just...don't say I didn't warn you. There's more to the whole situation that you don't know."

With that, Aisa kicked into motion, walking away from them, her wolves following behind her. Sasuke turned to watch her walk away. She always spoke that way, hinting at knowing more about Itachi's motives than he did, but she would never answer questions when asked.

"Is it okay to let her go like that?" Suigetsu asked.

"She may be a Leaf shinobi now, but she won't betray me." Sasuke said simply, turning around to continue on.

Aisa was a lot of things, he knew, but she wasn't one to betray those close to her without a really good reason. She was as loyal as a dog in that aspect, though if someone managed to do something horrible enough to lose her loyalty, she wasn't usually one to allow second chances. Once her loyalty was given, it was hard to lose, but once lost, was nearly impossible to gain back.

Sasuke hoped Naruto realized that.

END

Kyandi: Naruto is not going to be happy.

Aisa: If he finds out.

Kyandi: ...point taken.

Aisa: Anyway, shall we wrap this up. You have other stories to work on.

Kyandi: You have a point there, too. All of you, my lovely readers, are going to have to wait to find out how all of this plays out.

Aisa: I'm already dreading it.

Kyandi: Oh hush. You don't know what's going to happen anymore than them.

Aisa: I can guess.

Kyandi: Keep your guessing to yourself. Everyone, enjoy and review.

Aisa: We'll be back as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye


	10. Truth

Kyandi: Hey, everyone!

Aisa: We have returned.

Kyandi: I will say this now...in this chapter you get a little more of a look into how Aisa is involved with the Uchiha brothers.

Aisa: Don't you mean Itachi.

Kyandi: Well, yes, but lets not give it away before they read.

Aisa: Right.

Kyandi: So, since this chapter in on the long side, we'll just jump right in.

Aisa: Sounds good to me.

Kyandi: Everyone, enjoy and review.

Aisa: Kyandi-sama does not own Naruto.

Chapter 10 Truth

"Naruto!"

Naruto and the others looked up when they heard a familiar voice call out. Coming their way, her two wolves at her side, was Aisa. She easily caught up and fell into formation with the others.

"Aisa! Where the hell have you been!?" Naruto snapped.

"We found a trace of Sasuke's scent, but when we followed it, all we found was a torn piece of cloth. It looked like he had probably passed through there and the cloth was ripped free. It had blood on it, so I'm assuming he's injured." Aisa replied.

"There was three other scents mixed with it as well." Arufa added gruffly.

Since it lined up with what they had found on their end, Naruto couldn't really question it. Though Kakashi felt like something was off. Mostly with Aisa's scent. It was far more faint than normal, as if most of her scent had been washed away. Silently, not drawing any attention to himself, Kakashi moved his headband, just enough to peek at Aisa. As normal, Aisa appeared before his Sharingan with a web of chakra lines spreading out around her to help her navigate the otherwise dark world around her. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary and her clothes were dry, so it wasn't like she had gone through water.

It only made him even more suspious.

It was like she had purposely removed her scent.

Or was it another scent that had been on her?

Suddenly, Kiba, at the head of the group, made a noise of confusion. Everyone turned their attention to him.

"What's wrong, Kiba?" Naruto asked.

"We're in trouble! Sasuke's on the move!" Kiba reported.

"We gotta hurry! He's probably going stright for Itachi!" Naruto replied.

"Easy! Something's not quite right! Sasuke's scent just split up! It's going all over the place in a lot of different directions!" Kiba reported.

Aisa perked up when Naruto suddenly summoned forth dozens of shadow clones. The clones spread out in every direction, going to seek out each and every case of Sasuke's scent. Arufa and Omu glanced at Aisa, only the smallest quirk of lips giving anything away about the fast pace rearranging of plans that was going on in her head.

"We can help hunt down the scent trials, Moon Child." Omu offered.

"No. I'm pretty sure Naruto can handle that on his own." Aisa replied. "Right, Naruto?"

"You betcha!" Naruto called back.

Arufa and Omu looked at each other. The look that passed between them caught Kakashi's attention. But the wolves didn't say anything. They took Aisa's order and kept going. Naruto focused on his clones. Somewhere deep in the forest, one clone, chasing a piece of blood stained cloth tied to a bird's leg, came across the last person Naruto expect to at the moment.

Itachi.

"Show yourself Uzumaki Naruto." Itachi called when the clone remained hidden behind a tree.

Naruto stepped out, facing Itachi calmly.

"Finally gonna try to capture me?" Naruto asked.

"No. I merely want to talk with you." Itachi replied.

Mistrusting of those words, two more of Naruto's clones came at Itachi from behind. Itachi took both down with a backward flick of his wrist, tossing two kunai at him.

"Like I'm gonna fall for that." Naruto said, mentally running through all he had learned about fighting someone with the Sharingan.

"I see you've learned a little about fighting the Shargingan...You must know what to do when you're alone. Why aren't you running?" Itachi asked.

"Pfft! Because with me, my numbers can be anywhere from one to a thousand! And I can't afford to run this time. I've gotta capture you so I can find Sasuke!" Naruto replied.

"What is it about my brother that makes you care about him so much? He's a rogue ninja who abandoned you." Itachi said, curious about what was driving Naruto.

"Because he's like a brother to me. And I'm a better brother than you ever were!" Naruto retorted.

This both surprised and somewhat amused Itachi. His lips even twitched slightly with the urge to smile. When Naruto charged him, Itachi held open one side of his cloak, crows bursting forth to swarm Naruto. Before Naruto knew it, he found himself trapped in the world of Itachi's jutsu.

"I'll say it once more. I only wish to talk with you." Itachi said.

Naruto jerked in surprise when one crow flew at him, vanishing down his throat and leaving him feeling queasy. Once it was gone, he found himself back in the forest, down on one knee, a hand pressed to his stomach.

"Wh-why? You're after me, aren't you? Then fight me now!" Naruto demanded.

"I have to leave you for now. I've got a very important matter to deal with." Itachi said.

"Wait!" Naruto called, suddenly thinking of something. "Do you know a Noroi Aisa?"

Itachi paused, staring at Naruto. Naruto was pretty sure that meant that he did. When Itachi didn't confirm or deny it, just stood there, Naruto continued.

"What is your connection to her? Why is she so against going near you?" Naruto demanded.

Itachi pondered on whether he should say anything or not. Aisa wouldn't be pleased if he revealed the true connection between him and her, but he could divulge a few little facts. After all...the girl needed a little push to be more open with others.

"Do you trust Aisa?" Itachi asked.

"Of course!" Naruto replied.

She was his teammate after all. If there wasn't trust between teammates then how could a team function properly? Besides, Tsunade trusted Aisa, so, of course he trusted her.

"You shouldn't."

Naruto stared at Itachi. He had stated the two words simply, as if it was the most obvious fact Naruto should know.

"Noroi Aisa, as you know her by, isn't one to be trusted so easily. It's in her nature to stab another person in the back the moment she gets a chance. To look out for herself and her own interests. And she is not loyal to the Leaf or to you." Itachi told him.

"How do you know!? Aisa is a shinobi of the Leaf now! She's my friend!" Naruto snapped.

"No, she isn't. If you ask her, I'm sure she would tell you that she is there, not for you or the Leaf, but because of her debt to the Hokage. Aisa doesn't make friends. She is a solitary creature that chases others away." Itachi replied.

"Then what is your connection to her?" Naruto demanded.

"She and I have known each other since she was a toddler. I know her better than anyone save the Hokage. I say what I have said because I know her. I have watched her grow. I have seen her turn her back on friend and foe alike. Even turn her back on family. Why does she not come near me, you ask...because we have made a deal."

Naruto's eyes widened as he stared at Itachi. A deal? Aisa and Itachi had made a deal? With that knowledge, several questions ran through his head. What kind of deal, what did it entail, when had it been made? So many questions.

"Because of this deal, Aisa will never try to stand in my way or capture or kill me. Perhaps, if you want to know if you can truly trust, you should ask **her** what our true relationship is. If she refuses to answer, than you have your answer." Itachi said. "She will never show you the real Aisa or who or what she is. You will never be able to change that. I couldn't."

With that, Itachi vanished into a cloud of crows.

Naruto didn't know how to take this information. Of course, Itachi could be lying, but so much of what he said, just made sense. Naruto would only know by asking Aisa himself.

And hope she didn't lie to his face.

-0-0-0-0-

Somewhere in the forest, Sasuke lead his team through the trees, heading for the Uchiha hideout where Itachi would be waiting for him. He focused his attention straight ahead while Karin constantly scanned the area around them for approaching enemies.

"There's a bunch of people with identical chakra all around us! What the hell is this!?" Karin asked suddenly.

"Do we need to take another route, Sasuke?" Suigetsu asked.

"Ignore it. We'll charge straight through." Sasuke replied.

"Thank god. Detours always wipe me out." Suigetsu said.

Just ahead of them, a clone of Naruto appeared in their path. Naruto turned toward them, his eyes widening when they landed on Sasuke. He had no more gotten Sasuke's name out of his mouth before something hit the clone from behind, eliminating it.

"Damn...I didn't get to it fast enough."

Standing there where the clone had just been, was a clone of Aisa. Sasuke nodded to her as he flew past her, continuing on his way. The clone went poof then. All across the forest, more and more of Naruto's clones were poofed from behind. When the collective information came back to Naruto, he jolted.

"What is it, Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"Something is taking out my clones all across the forest. But! I found him!" Naruto told them.

Aisa inwardly muttered to herself. She had tried to reach all of Naruto's clones with clones of herself before they could locate Sasuke. Her clones had just been a little too slow.

"Way to go, Naruto!" Kiba cheered.

"We'll worry about what attacked your clones later. Which way, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"Follow me!" Naruto declared, taking the lead.

The others fell in behind Naruto. Aisa turned to look at her wolves now that they were all together and had located Sasuke.

"You can head back now. Thanks for the help." Aisa told Arufa and Omu.

"If you are sure, Moon Child." Arufa said.

"Yes. I will summon you again if I have need of your help or advice." she told him.

"Very well." Arufa said.

Several of the wolves called a parting to Aisa before, with a poof of smoke, they all vanished. No sooner were they gone, Aisa picked up on something, a low hum leaving her and making Yamato and Kakashi look at her.

"What is it, Aisa?" Yamato asked.

"We have an enemy up ahead. I can just make him out on the edge of my senses." Aisa replied. "And it's not someone I know."

Which meant it wasn't Sasuke or Itachi. When questioned, all Aisa could tell them was that he was alone. Kiba picked up the scent not long after that and sure enough, he appeared in their path: a man wearing the Akatsuki cloak and a strange orange, swirl design mask. Something about his chakra, which she could feel through the thin chakra lines spread out around her, felt familiar to Aisa, though she couldn't place where.

"Wow, I didn't think I'd find a bunch of Leaf ninja way out here. And it's nine on one, that's so not fair!" he whined, as if he was a child instead of a grown man.

"That cloak...he's an Akatsuki!" Yamato said.

"He's not on the list of Akatsuki that Kabuto left behind." Kakashi remarked.

"A new member?" Aisa asked.

"Yep! I'm new to the company. Nice to meet you!" the man, Tobi, said in greeting.

"Hah! Don't start acting cocky yet, we haven't even started!" Kiba yelled.

"Calm down and think, Kiba. We know nothing of him." Aisa remarked lowly.

"She's right. Don't make any sudden moves. Just observe him, for now. He's severely outnumbered and we've got the advantage." Kakashi agreed.

"You're not taking me seriously...? Not cool!" Tobi called down.

"Kind of hard to take you seriously when you sound like a child on the verge of a fit." Aisa retorted.

Tobi rubbed the back of his head, letting out a little laugh that only further made him out to be like a child. Naruto attacked him from behind, then, with his Rasengan. It looked like Naruto had him, hitting in the middle of Tobi's back...but then he passed right through Tobi. Tobi shifted forward, jumping towards Naruto.

"You're too full of yourself! What's a kid like you gonna do to me?" Tobi demanded.

Tobi aimed a kick for Naruto's face when something flashed past Kakashi and Yamato, jumping into the air.

"Aisa!" Yamato yelled.

Tobi was surprised when, instead of Naruto's face, another foot meet his, sole to sole. Aisa, having blocked the kick with her own, grabbed Naruto by the waist and used Tobi's foot as a spring board to launch herself back towards the ground. Flipping, she landed firmly on both feet, Naruto gripped tightly in her arms. She slid a foot or two before coming to a stop.

"Are you alright, Naruto?" Aisa asked.

"Yeah." Naruto replied.

Sure that Naruto was fine, Kakashi and Yamato kept their attention firmly fixed on Tobi. They didn't even spare Aisa or Naruto a glance.

"He saw through all of Naruto's jutsu..." Yamato remarked.

"It's like he's just messing around...but why?" Kakashi asked.

Aisa shifted, releasing Naruto. Something about this Akatsuki member, put her on edge. She sensed a cunning and ruthlessness behind the childish facade he was putting up and it made her uneasy. And then there was that jutsu he had used to make Naruto pass through him. Aisa's chakra lines were all over the place, constantly shifting and mapping what was around her. Yet, for a moment long enough for Naruto's body to pass through, part of Tobi's body just...vanished.

Aisa didn't like it.

"What kind of game should we play now, Leaf-peoples?" Tobi asked.

"We don't have the time to screw around with you." Naruto retorted.

"Damn straight!" Sakura agreed.

"Why? Because we need to stay right on Sasuke's trail." Shino added.

"You weren't with us last time, Shino! You'd better work twice as hard!" Kiba told his teammate.

"Alright, everyone. Let's take this joker down." Kakashi declared.

"Get in formation B and attack!" Yamato called.

But it didn't matter what formation they tried. If they couldn't hit him, there was no way they could defeat Tobi. Aisa tried to use her senses in order to hit solid flesh, but even her attacks went straight through him. She tried again, though, but her fist sailed right through his right shoulder, the missed punch putting them face to face. Tobi took the moment to speak into her ear, his voice dropping in tone to one of a much deeper rumble.

"I see you've plunged yourself into darkness. Afraid to face what's in the mirror...Aiai?"

Aisa's whole body tensed up, her heart rocketing straight up into her throat and her blood feeling like it had just run cold in her veins. Faster than any of them had ever seen her move before, Aisa shot away from Tobi. She moved so fast that she even almost stumbled over a tree root in her rush.

"Aisa? What is it?" Yamato asked.

But Aisa didn't answer. Her attention was on something else completely.

Only one person had ever called her Aiai. Aisa didn't like the nickname and even her parents had disliked it. No one else had ever called her by that name. But...it couldn't be him. It just couldn't be! The last time she had seen him, she had only been four or five. It just couldn't be him. He was dead, she knew this, but her logical mind was in a mess over hearing the nickname. Anyone could come up with Aiai as a nickname, right? And it wasn't like a member of Akatsuki couldn't find out what her name was. But she still had a bad feeling in her gut.

What...what if it was him?

" **Aisa!** "

A hand suddenly grabbing her shoulder and giving it a shake, snapped her out of her own thoughts. Kakashi now stood at her side a hand on her shoulder. His grip was firm, meant to snap her out of her own head as well as offer some inkling of support.

"Pull yourself together. What's gotten into you?" he asked.

"I...it's nothing. His ability is throwing me for a loop. I could of sworn my fist just passed through his body." Aisa replied back, quickly covering for herself.

"It's strange. No matter the formation we try, it's not working. How can he avoid all our attacks so easily?" Yamato asked.

"Kakashi-sensei..." Hinata called out.

"Mmm...I know." Kakashi replied.

He gave Aisa's shoulder a firm squeeze and a pat before he released her. As he had said, she needed to pull herself back together. Now wasn't the time to let something that could possibly be coincidental, get to her.

"Hey, Naruto...our timing on that last attack was perfect, right?" Kiba asked.

"Yeah." Naruto replied.

"How the hell did he dodge it!? We should've nailed him!" Kiba growled.

"We have, though."

Kiba turned to look at Aisa, confused as to what she meant. Naruto, though, just agreed with her. He honestly thought they had hit him.

"When I punched him just now...I swear, my fist went right through his body. It was as if that part of his body, vanished." Aisa told him.

"The same thing happened when I went after him with a Rasengan. It should've been a direct hit, but for some reason it just went right through his body." Naruto said.

"In other words, while it appeared that he avoided your attacks, in actually, he forced both you and your jutsu to somehow slip through his own body. Is that correct, Naruto, Aisa?" Shino asked.

"Sounds about right." Aisa remarked, though Naruto was a little confused.

"Shino, seriously. Talk like a normal person for once!" Kiba snapped.

"It must be some kind of special clone...or maybe a projection created with genjutsu." Sakura suggested.

"I-I thought so too, so I checked the entire surrounding area with my Byakugan for other chakra sources...the only place his chakra is coming from is right here." Hinata said.

"Genjutsu can't fool the jutsu I use to navigate my surroundings. That's him, Sakura." Aisa added.

The whole thing only confused all of them. If it wasn't a normal jutsu, then it could only be one unique to him. Perhaps a blood line trait. That would make this horribly difficult for them.

"What do you think, Kakashi?" Yamato asked.

"It can only be some kind of technique that's unique to him. That makes things difficult for us, but..." Kakashi turned to look at Shino. "Shino."

Aisa shifted slightly when she felt the thousands upon thousands of bugs take flight, disrupting her chakra lines.

"Times like this are when secret clan techniques like Shino's are the most useful." Kakashi remarked.

"Eww! You're an Aburame? Not the bugs! Grooooss!" Tobi cried.

"You're actually pumped up, Shino!" Kiba called.

"Of course I am. Why? Because I was left out of the previous mission." Shino replied.

Aisa leaned towards Hinata and Sakura then, lowering her voice for only them to hear.

"He's going to keep harping on that, isn't he?" Aisa asked.

Hinata gave a tiny, sheepish laugh as Sakura heaved a sigh.

Shino's bugs attacked then, swarming Tobi. To avoid them, Tobi jumped out of the way. So as long as it was an attack with a fixed point of impact, he could phase it through his body, but he couldn't do so with attacks that came from several points. At least that was the theory they had come to.

"The Aburames don't fight by focusing their attacks on a single point. Their forte is taking control of a wide large area all **around** the enemy." Kakashi remarked.

"You never really worked with Shino, Naruto and you haven't at all, Aisa...just stand back and let him do his thing, unless you want a few bug bites, too!" Kiba said.

"No, thank you." Aisa replied.

Ihai, for the first time since they had met back up, popped his head up out of the bag on Aisa's back, giving a bark of agreement. He didn't like bugs anymore than Aisa did. Kiba and Naruto looked at the dog, but as quickly as he popped up, he vanished back into the bag, letting out little growls.

"Yeah well...you need to stay in there, so stop complaining." Aisa told the dog over her shoulder.

A sharp bark of retort sounded back at her and Aisa gave her bag a sharp jostle, making the puppy yelp once out of surprise. He didn't make another sound after that.

Aisa turned to focus her attention on the countless number of bugs now swarming around them, chasing Tobi. They surrounded Tobi, caging him in. Aisa never wanted to find herself in Tobi's position.

"He can't get out of this. Avoiding all those bugs simply isn't possible." Kakashi remarked.

Aisa really did hope that was the case. She didn't like the idea of an enemy she couldn't hit in some kind of fashion. Especially not one that gave her such a bad feeling as this one did.

"I'll finish this. Why? Not only am I part of the mission, but I must make up for not being there last time, as well." Shino remarked.

"Alright, so he **is** going to keep harping on that." Aisa muttered, Kiba muttering in agreement.

Before them, the bugs moved to completely cover Tobi's body, basically swallowing him whole. It made Aisa's skin crawl. She found Shino's control of those bugs to be fascinating, even amazing, but she would never want to be on the receiving end of one of his attacks. The mere thought of having that many bugs crawling all over her, made her skin crawl.

"How's it look Hinata?" Kakashi asked.

"R-right! I can confirm the target's chakra...he's still inside Shino-kun's bugs." Hinata said.

"Yamato!" Kakashi called.

"On it!" Yamato said, shifting wooden poles into place to attack at any moment.

"How're we doing, Shino?" Kakashi asked.

"He's still in there. How can I tell? Because the movement of my destruction bugs indicates they're still absorbing his chakra." Shino replied.

"Alright! Suck him dry, Shino!" Naruto cheered.

"Wait!"

All eyes turned to Aisa, who stiffened just about the same time as Shino. Aisa started shifting, turning as if she was searching for something.

"He just vanished...completely!" Aisa said.

Shino's bugs dispersed, Tobi no longer at the heart of them. Aisa shifted, searching their surrounding area for any trace of Tobi.

"My bugs were reacting to his chakra, and then they just...lost him. This is unprecedented..." Shino remarked.

"Was it a teleportation jutsu?" Sakura asked.

"No, it's wasn't." Aisa answered.

"She is right. How do I know? Because teleportation is merely high-speed movement. The bugs still would've sensed the direction he moved in and pursued. They wouldn't let him escape." Shino agreed.

"It has to be a space/time ninjutsu. There's no other way." Aisa said.

Kakashi glanced at her. A space/time ninjutsu? In this situation? Kakashi didn't see how that could be possible, but Aisa was right...it was the only answer they had. He watched as Aisa shifted uncomfortably.

"But he made no seals...I don't understand...and I don't have a good feeling about this." Aisa muttered.

Kakashi could agree with her on that too. Tobi hadn't made any seals and Kakashi was sure he had no summoning tattoos, and yet, he had still gotten his body out of the area. If it was true that it was time/space ninjutsu, than it had to be even more advanced than that of the Fourth Hokage's. Which didn't speak well for them.

"His entire body disappeared...can he just make himself cease to exist?" Yamato asked.

"No way...assuming he can make himself disappear at will, it makes sense he could do the same with individual body parts, too. In other words, he could..."remove" whatever part was about to be hit by an attack, making it appear like the attack just slipped through." Sakura remarked.

"That would mean he's definitely making our attacks go through him, not simply defending or avoiding them." Kakashi remarked.

Just then, Aisa perked up, turning on the spot.

"I found him." she said, pointing in the direction that she could sense him from.

Over their heads, standing on a wide tree limb, was Tobi. Like a childish idiot, he was waving happily at them. Losing his temper, Kiba attacked, but Tobi merely side stepped him, letting Kiba crash into the tree instead of him. The force of his attack carried Kiba straight through the tree limb and into the ground below.

"Well...that was a waste of breath." Aisa remarked.

"Damn it Kiba, you can't just jump out on your own!" Sakura snapped.

"...slipped right through him again...son of a bitch!" Kiba muttered.

"Kiba...he merely side stepped you." Aisa informed him.

Suddenly, as new source of chakra entered Aisa's web of chakra lines. She shifted, turning towards Tobi.

"Someone else is here." Aisa said in warning.

The others turned to look at Tobi as something that resembled a venus fly trap, grew out of the tree branch beside Tobi and opened, revealing a person in side.

"What...is that?" Sakura asked.

"He's in the Akatsuki file Kabuto left behind." Kakashi replied.

"God damnit, more people trying to delay us!?" Naruto snapped.

This new pop up didn't even pay them the slightest of attention, focusing solely on Tobi. What he had to tell Tobi, though, surprised everyone.

Everyone but Aisa.

"Sasuke won! Uchiha Itachi is dead."

"Whoooa! Didn't see that coming! **Not**. Just as I predicted." Tobi replied.

"Sasuke collapsed like, a second later, though...what do you say? He's probably fading fast." White Zetsu said.

"Yo, Aloe Vera! Where the fuck is Sasuke!?" Naruto demanded.

"Aloe Vera!?" White Zetsu asked.

" **Just ignore him.** " Black Zetsu added.

Kakashi's eyes widened then, as he finally got somewhat of a peek through the eye hole of Tobi's mask and to the eye beneath.

"I'll play with you children some other time." Tobi said.

"Sharingan!? Who...who the hell is he!?" Kakashi asked.

"Bye bye! See ya later, Aiai." Tobi called.

Then with a wave of his hand, he vanished, piece by piece, before their eyes. Aisa grit her teeth as Kiba turned to look at her.

"Aiai?" he asked.

"I haven't heard that nickname since I was a child." Aisa admitted.

"So you know him?" Sakura asked, turning to her.

"No. The person that called me that, is dead. I don't know who that man is. I wish I did. Things might make more sense." Aisa replied.

Kakashi turned to them then. They could question all of this at a later time, though the way Naruto looked at Aisa, made Kakashi want to question it then and there. For now, though, they had to reach Sasuke before Tobi and Zetsu.

"We have to get Sasuke before them!" Kakashi called.

Kakashi turned then, scanning the area around them with his Sharingan. It was then that his eye caught on a large, dark cloud centered around a single point in the distance. Kakashi turned to Hinata, asking that she check it out. What she found was that the area was surrounded by a powerful chakra and was burning in black flames.

"Black flames? Amaterasu?" Aisa asked.

"That has to be it. Everyone follow me!" Kakashi, called.

Though they would move as fast as possible, Aisa already knew...they wouldn't reach Sasuke first. Not that it mattered at this point. The fight between Sasuke and Itachi was over and, as Aisa had thought, Itachi had lost. Her job was done and there was no further need for her to delay them.

Half way there, Kiba caught the scent, proclaiming that they had already reached Sasuke. Naruto cursed darkly, his teeth grinding together. It was then that they encountered the black flames of Itachi's Amaterasu. Using his jutsu, Yamato rose the burning ground into the air, splitting it in two to clear a way for them straight down the center. They left Yamato behind to see to the flames, but by the time they arrived, Sasuke was gone.

"There's still a trace of their scent...but..." Kiba trailed off.

"We're too late." Kakashi finished for him.

Naruto stared at the ground. They had failed again. From the very start it had seemed that everything was against them. As if something was purposely standing in their way.

Or someone.

Naruto turned his eyes to look at Aisa, who stood off to the side of the group, her face raised to the sky, rain trickling down her face.

Was what Itachi told him true? Was Aisa really not who she said she was and was she really against them? Itachi had told him that if he wanted to know if he could trust her, he should ask her what her real connection to the Uchiha brothers was. Naruto would ask.

He just hoped Itachi was lying.

-0-0-0-0-

Craggy, rocky ceiling.

That was the first thing Sasuke saw when he opened his eyes. Pushing himself up into a sitting position, he glanced around, finding himself in a cave with a single candle lighting up the space.

"I gave you some first-aid."

Sasuke turned towards the voice, but the speaker was lost in the shadows. He knew someone was there, but they were just out of eyesight.

"It was very close, though...you're still badly wounded. You shouldn't be so reckless with your life."

Out of the shadows stepped the masked man, Tobi. The last person that Sasuke expected to see at this moment.

"We've met once before. As enemies. Don't worry about what happened with Deidara. I'm no longer your foe. I brought you here to tell you something important." Tobi told him.

Sasuke turned his eyes away from Tobi, not the least bit interested in anything he had to say. Tobi could see that much.

"Not interested, I see. Maybe you'll pay attention if I say it like this...it's about Uchiha Itachi."

That caught Sasuke's attention, making his eyes shift back to Tobi.

"There we go. You know so much about your brother, and at the same time, you know nothing. Alright, why don't I start by introducing myself...Like you, I'm a living breathing Uchiha." Tobi said, reaching up to shift his mask to the side, revealing the right side of his face with it's Sharingan eye. "And the man who knows the truth about Uchiha Itachi."

Before his Sharingan gaze, Tobi watched as the Sharingan in Sasuke's left eye suddenly activated before shifting to resemble Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan, blood spilling from his eye like tears. Seconds later, Tobi's clothes burst into Amaterasu flames. Dropping his mask, he stumbled back into the shadows. Sasuke dropped his face into a hand, pressing a hand to his left eye as he panted.

"What...the hell...was that...?" Sasuke muttered lowly.

He glanced in the direction that Tobi had stumbled off in. After seeing the Amaterasu in action, himself, Sasuke didn't think he would survive it.

"The "Amaterasu" that Itachi implanted into you."

Sasuke's head jerked up when he heard Tobi's voice. Stepping out of the shadows, Tobi bent to pick up his mask, fixing it back into place, completely unharmed by the black flames.

"That Itachi...even in death, he never ceases to amaze me. Even planning for a situation like this." Tobi remarked.

"What...what are you saying?" Sasuke asked.

"He equipped you with his own jutsu as a last-ditch effort to kill me. Or perhaps his intention was simply to keep me away from you. I assume that he set things up so the sight of my Sharingan would automatically trigger Amaterasu to activate." Tobi said, thankful he had managed to keep some secrets from Itachi. "It's what you'd call a fail-safe...although he only got as far as the "fail" part."

"I have no idea what you're getting at." Sasuke told him.

"Look, Itachi did something to you just before he died, right?" Tobi asked.

Sasuke thought back to the end of his fight with Itachi when his brother poked him in the forehead as he use to do before he killed the clan. Sasuke hadn't thought anything of it at the time, though he had been confused by it.

"Somehow, at the last second, he transferred all his eye techniques into you." Tobi told him.

"...That makes no sense. What are you trying to say!? Why would Itachi want to-"

"You still don't know?" Tobi asked, cutting Sasuke off. "It was...to protect you."

Sasuke stared at him, unable to believe what he had just said. Itachi? Protect him!? Tobi had to have lost his mind!

"Pr...protect me!? Is that supposed to be funny!?" Sasuke demanded.

"As I said before, you knew so much about your brother, yet you knew nothing at all." Tobi replied.

"You keep screwing with me, and I will kill you!" Sasuke threatened.

"I see talking with you is going to be difficult. I guess I understand. Some weirdo takes you in and starts saying all these shocking things. But I assure you, I speak the truth. You asked Itachi yourself about the person who helped him that night. It was me. Uchiha Madara."

Sasuke's eyes widened. He stared down at his lap, unable to believe what he had heard. He had thought Itachi was making things up when he had told him that.

"I know everything there is to know about Itachi. Of course, he died without realizing just how much." Tobi, or rather, Madara, said.

" **Enough! I don't care anymore! Go away and never come near me again!** " Sasuke yelled.

"No, I think you need...you have to question me. It's your mission...your duty! You need to know about him...this man who risked everything to protect the shinobi world...the Leaf village...and most of all, his little brother. You need to know about Uchiha Itachi's life!" Madara said. "Do you understand why Itachi transferred Amaterasu into your eyes? The last thing Itachi wanted was for you and me to cross paths. And if you listen to what I have to say, everything will make sense."

Sasuke remained silent, gripping the blanket over his lap as if for dear life.

"The only Leaf villagers who knew everything about Itachi were the Third Hokage, his councilors Homura and Koharu and Danzou. With the Third's passing, only three of the four old relics remain. I doubt they'll ever speak a word of their sickening knowledge to anyone. The truth about your brother has been hidden with a vast, infinite darkness...that was undoubtedly, how he wanted it. But I know the truth, as well, as does one other person, and like I said before, Itachi died without realizing the extent of what I'd learned. But he was no fool...he clearly didn't trust me. He accounted for the remote possibility of me finding out and tried to shut me up permanently with Amaterasu. Apparently me revealing my Sharingan to you to gain your trust was within the range of his plan." Madara remarked.

"What...are you getting at?" Sasuke asked. "What's this guy...trying to say? Protect me? Protect me...? The "truth"?

"Think back. Recall everything you know about Itachi...slowly...carefully. Remember your loving older brother." Madara insisted.

"He...he tried to kill me...tried to steal my eyes..." Sasuke muttered.

By this point, Sasuke was so lost in his hyperventilating that he lost consciousness even after Madara tried to get him to calm down and take deep breaths. When next he awoke, he was leaned against the wall, his arms bound to his sides.

"You awake?" Madara asked from where he was perched on a crate. "I took the liberty of tying you up. I figured you wouldn't stay and listen otherwise...sorry."

Sasuke doubted he was really all that sorry, but he didn't say anything out loud. Not about that, at least. Being tied up was the least of his issues at the moment.

"He was...Itachi was my enemy. He killed my mother, my father...and everyone in my clan. He's a rogue ninja and member of the Akatsuki. I have every reason to hate him. My ambition was always to..."

Sasuke trailed off, staring at the floor as he tried to gather his thoughts. Madara crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back slightly as he spoke.

"What happened on that night and your memories of him massacring the Uchiha clan are all real. He fled the Leaf village immediately after. Had a little help with that part." Madara said.

"Then why...?"

"All done on orders given to him by the Leaf's top brass. And that is where the truth about your brother begins." Madara explained.

"Orders...a mission?" Sasuke asked, wide eyed.

"Yes. That night, Itachi left his old life behind and carried out the duty assigned to him." Madara said.

From the way Sasuke was focused on him, Madara could tell he now had his full attention. At least he wasn't hyperventilating this time around.

"You've calmed down...good." Madara remarked.

"What they hell are you saying!?" Sasuke demanded.

"For the rest to make sense, we must first return to the founding of the leaf." Madara told him. "Itachi was a sacrifice. The latest in a long line of fatalities. Part of a huge problem dating back to the first day of the hidden village's existence. One that decided the course of Itachi's life."

"...A sacrifice?"

"Correct. It's a long story, one that includes another face you know well, but I promise you, every words of it's true." Madara said.

"I'm not falling for this. I don't trust you one bit." Sasuke told him.

"I have no proof or evidence to offer. You're free to believe me or ignore me. But you will listen."

Sasuke stared at Madara for a long moment. Part of him didn't want to listen, but another part of him wanted to hear what he had to say. Finally, he agreed. As Madara said, he could choose rather to believe it or not.

"The story begins over eighty years ago. In an era of unrelenting violence and bloodshed. Nations crusaded for more rights, more land...the usual reasons for war. Back then, shinobi organizations weren't made up of multiple clans and families. Rather, each individual clan rented its military might to the highest bidder. And amongst those countless shinobi families, only three were truly feared as the strongest, one even known as a clan of cannibalistic monsters. We Uchiha, with our unparalleled chakra and Sharingan, were so gifted in the art of battle, we came to be considered an army. And within this renowned clan, I was born with the greatest, strongest chakra they'd ever seen. My stubborn refusal to die could be considered proof of that." Madara said.

He wasn't even kidding about that. After so long, the man should have been long gone, and yet, here he was.

"I spent every waking hour in battle. In an era where power was everything, I exhausted every resource I could to get more...friends, my brother...everything. But thanks to those efforts, I obtained a flawless Mangekyou Sharingan and became leader of the Uchiha. And with this power at my command, I often found myself pitted against, not only the Chirura, but the Senju. But the Chirura are a completely different story, one you'd be better off asking an actual clan member about. It was inevitable that I would one day face the Senju's leader, Hashirama. Senju Hashirama...the tree element user who became the first Hokage, the greatest ninja of his time, and the only man I had ever admired."

Sasuke knew enough about the Chirura to know why they had earned the title of cannibalistic monsters. He could imagine how hard it must have been, living in a time when constant fights with the red haired and red eyes members of that monstrous clan, was an every day occurrence.

"The first man to hold the title of "Hokage", Hashirama...he and his clan, the Senju were respected by every other shinobi clan as being the best. Respected...and feared. While the Chirura...they were just feared. There was no respect for a clan of people who bathed in blood and entered a battle field with grins on their faces. The three clans constantly clashed. When one would make a move, the other two would make a move. Our clan and the Chirura, were the only ones capable of standing up to the Senju. If one country hired the Senju, their enemies would hire the Uchiha or the Chirura. And through my constant fights with Hashirama, I became pretty famous myself." Madara said.

"You stole your brother's eyes...just to make yourself famous!?" Sasuke asked.

"I did...but only to gain the power I needed to protect the clan." Madara confirmed.

"Protect them?"

"As our fame and reputation spread, our enemies increased. In an era of unrelenting war, his eyes were sacrificed for the sake of protecting his bretheren from outside threats, like the Senju and even the Chirura. It was never about fame. My younger brother accepted his role and willingly gave his eyes to me. But one day, the Senju approached and proposed a truce...and the Uchiha accepted. They even extended the same proposal to the Chirura, who also accepted. Though it was later revealed to be a plot they had for bringing down both the Uchiha and the Senju in one fell swoop. A plot that failed, of course."

Sasuke knew, from past history lessons, that that plot was what had lead to the Chirura being banished from the village.

"As for the Uchiha and Senju...both our clans were fed up with the constant fighting. Everyone had had enough. I ended up being the lone voice of dissension. What happened to the hatred we had for them!? What did my brother sacrifice his eyes for!? The Uchiha and the Senju were like oil and water...and the truce changed nothing. The Chirura made that clear very quickly after the founding of the village. I was adamant that the Senju would eventually destroy us all...but no one else took my side. The Uchiha wanted peace, and as their leader, I had to follow their will. Soon after, our newly-formed alliance was employed by the Fire Country to help stabilize its borders. And with that, the system of one hidden village per country got its start. The Fire Country and Konoha. The surrounding nations started copying our system, and slowly but surely, the violence stopped. For once, we had real peace. But the Leaf itself was thrust into chaos because of two certain incidents."

"What were they?" Sasuke asked.

"The first was the Chirura turning on the village. The Senju and Uchiha, together, stopped them and the few hand full of them left after the fighting, were banished from the village for good. The second was...the selection of the village's leader...the first Hokage. As you already know, the honor fell to Senju Hashirama. All the villagers and people from all over the fire country supported him. It was clear to me that he would slowly strip the Uchiha of their rights and power. I knew, as their leader, that the only way to protect the clan was to stand up against Hashirama. But not a single person stood with me. They claimed I was trying to re-ignite the old flames of war, and turned their backs on me." Madara explained.

Madara explained how his own people had called him greedy, saying he only wanted power and that he had taken his brother's eyes only to save his own life. They had completely turned their backs on him, betrayed him and, as a result, he had left the village to become an avenger. This being what lead to the great fight between him and Hashirama at the Valley of the End. As far as history knew, that was supposedly where Madara had met his end and he had ceased to exist in history from then on.

"To deter anyone else from following in my footsteps, Hashirama's younger brother, the Second Hokage, gave the Uchiha special roles in the village as a sign of good faith. They were made into the Leaf's military police. But even that was a means to keep them out of government affairs. They were simply being grouped together to make keeping an eye on them easier. Some of our clansmen finally noticed and thought to stage a rebellion, as I had. But by then, it was too late. As the years passed, the Senju came to control everything. The once proud Uchiha were now nothing more than the Senju's playthings. Everything I tried to warn them about came true. And finally, the last straw...the event that sealed the Uchiha's clan's fate. You know all about it..."

Sasuke gave him a questioning look, wondering what he could have been talking about.

"The nine-tailed demon fox's appearance sixteen years ago."

"Are you serious?" Sasuke asked.

"Only our eye techniques are capable of controlling the nine-tails. So the Leaf's upper echelon suspected that an Uchiha was behind the attack. In actuality, it was just a freak occurrence. A natural disaster. The Uchiha were completely blameless. But the seeds of doubt had been sown. They believed the Uchiha had set their sights on controlling the village. The surveillance would need to be more thorough than a few Anbu. The clan's land was moved to a remote corner of the village. They had effectively been quarantined. The Third Hokage was the only one to voice any disapproval, but his two advisors and the Anbu leader, Danzou, overruled him. In the end, no one trusted the Uchiha. And the discrimination began. Being treated so poorly led to a lot of bad blood. And the Leaf's suspicions eventually became fact.

"The Uchiha came together and started organizing a coup d'etat. So the Leaf's leaders planted a spy amongst them. They chose your older brother...Uchiha Itachi. And that is where his life went from ordinary to a living hell." Madara said.

"The Uchiha planned a coup d'etat and Itachi was a spy?" Sasuke repeated.

"You had no idea what was really going on with the clan...you were still too young. But I assure you, this is all true. Your father, Fugaku, was the mastermind behind the whole plan. And Itachi, on his orders, joined the Anbu as his spy. But in reality, it was the opposite. Itachi was sending information about the **clan** to the **village**. I believe the common term is "double agent". You can't even **begin** to imagine the burden he had to carry."

"But why? Why would Itachi betray the clan?" Sasuke demanded.

"Someone who's never seen true war, such as yourself, may not be able to fully comprehend the answer. During the Third Ninja World War, Itachi, barely four years old, witnessed countless people slaughtered in cold blood. A four year old is still too immature to turn war into experience...for a child, war is hell. The trauma turned Itachi into a boy who loathed war and strife, and only desired peace. And a man who worked tirelessly to keep his village safe and stable, a man who refused to let fetters and familial ties interfere with his love for the village. The village leadership noted this, and used it against him. He was assigned a top secret mission. You know the phrase "Eye for an eye"? To take on the Uchiha, you need the Sharingan."

Sasuke knew exactly what that meant. To take on the Uchiha, they had used Itachi, possibly one of the greatest Uchihas there was.

"Exactly." Madara said, as if reading Sasuke's mind. "His top secret mission...was to wipe out the entire Uchiha clan. The emotion and inner turmoil he must have felt...it's beyond even my imagination. But as terrified as he must have been, the time to make a decision closed in quickly. To raise his hands against his own kinsman should have been unthinkable. But if a clan of the Uchiha's caliber started a civil war, it would've shaken not only the foundations of the Hidden Leaf village, but the Fire Country itself. And that would've opened the door for other countries to invade. Unrest in the Leaf would have been the trigger for a fourth wold war. The Uchiha's selfish desire for power would have caused the deaths of countless innocent bystanders. If you were in Itachi's shoes, what would you have done?"

Sasuke didn't have an answer for that. He couldn't even begin to imagine being in Itachi's position. He would never want to be in such a position.

"He didn't betray the clan because of a grudge, he simply had no alternative. The exclusion from the village's prosperous gains...the origins of their feud...no one can blame Itachi for making the decision he did, after having dealt with everything all by himself. Coincidentally, around the same time, I was looking to rekindle the flames of war. Remember, at this point I had a grudge against the Leaf and the Uchiha. But Itachi found me out. He was the only one to even notice my presence. He sought me out and gave me an ultimatum. In exchange for helping me take revenge on the Uchiha clan, I would agree not to make any moves against the village.

"I would help him murder his kinsmen but the Third Hokage simply refused to accept what was going on. He tried everything he could to convince the others that reconciliation with the Uchiha was the answer. Unfortunately, time ran out and he failed. It all led to that night. It was his duty. Killing his own clan and leaving the village in dishonor. It was all part of his duty. And Itachi fulfilled it. Except for one mistake. He was unable...to kill his own brother."

Sasuke turned to look at Madara. Itachi had been able to bring himself to kill everyone...but him?

"Afterwards, Itachi pleaded with the Third Hokage to protect you from Danzou and the elders. Then after threatening Danzo, he left the village. "If you lay a hand on Sasuke," he said, "I'll leak everything I know about the village to enemy countries". He was so worried about you. He even had a second pair of eyes always on you. But he couldn't tell you the truth. So this was all he could say. He gave you revenge as your goal. In order to make you stronger. He wanted you to believe that Uchiha was a clan Konoha would be proud of. He begged the Third Hokage not to tell you the truth. Since the day he left the village, he planned to fight you and die by your hand. So that you would gain a new power. This is the truth about Itachi."

"...lies...lies...you have to be lying..." Sasuke muttered, more to himself before turning his eyes on Madara. "You, Madara, you were the one who used the kyuubi to attack the village! Itachi told me everything! Nonsense...I was almost killed more than once."

"You would have been had Itachi been serious...that's certain." Madara replied.

"He even tried to kill me with the Mangekyo Sharingan! And yet..."

"It was all part of his plan. He had to drive you into a corner. You must have already realized the reason, right?" Madara asked.

Images of the part of his fight with Itachi in which Orchimaru made an appears, flashed into his mind. All of it, right down to Itachi absorbing Orchimaru out of his body and sealing him away.

"Freedom from the cursed seal and with the death of someone close to you...the battle would awaken your Mangekyo Sharingan. Itachi planned everything about that fight for you. And he played the role of trying to steal your eyes till the very end. Looks like you finally understand." Madara said.

"You're lying! You're the one who loosed the nine-tailed fox on the village! Itachi said it was all your doing! You did it so Uchiha would be falsely accused thanks to your games!" Sasuke snapped.

"Itachi lied to you...I told you. He was afraid you'd find out the truth. To make sure there wasn't the slightest possibility, he lied to you so you wouldn't trust me. Not only that, but he planted Amaterasu in your eyes."

"You expect me to believe you!? He's...! Itachi is evil! He's a criminal, killer of our clan, tainted by Akatsuki!" Sasuke insisted.

"After having left the village, burdened by an unforgivable crime, he joined Akatsuki in order to keep watch on that dangerous organization from the inside. Always thinking of Konoha and of you. The Third Hokage had sworn to protect you. The reason Itachi appeared in Konoha immediately after his death was because he wanted to warn Danzo and the village Elders, "I am alive". You were more important-"

"Lies! That's all-"

"But you're alive!" Madara insisted.

Sasuke jolted. More and more of what Itachi had said to him began to click into the place, the double meaning behind his words becoming clear.

"And then there was Aiai's part in all of this."

Sasuke's head snapped up. His eyes flew to Madara.

"Aiai?" he asked, somewhat afraid of where this was going.

"Noroi Aisa. Did you think her a passive bystander in all of this?"

Aisa had, for as long as he could remember, been a fixture in his life. Even before he first met her, Itachi had told him stories about her, had always come back from a mission with new news on how Aisa was doing in her life outside of the village. She had always been there, passing between the two brothers as if she was a neutral observer in everything.

Nothing more than that.

"She was the first person Itachi turned to, the one that gave him shelter for the first few weeks after he left the village. Since then, she has been covering for him, feeding him information on you. She's always been watching, playing the go-between between you and Itachi, all the while, helping him towards his end. She knew about everything, every aspect of his plan, and helped him. All so he wouldn't share her secrets. The same threat he used with Danzou, though, I'm sure she would have done it without the threat." Madara said.

Aisa...had helped Itachi plan his death?

"And, I am sure, now that he is dead, she will continue in his place to protect you. Itachi left his will to her, I'm positive. You couldn't see through Itachi at all. No more than you could Aisa. The two plotted together, never showing you their true colors. You couldn't see through the illusion. But Itachi... had killed his friend, his superiors...had killed his lover and his father and mother. The only one he couldn't kill...was his little brother." Madara said, walking over to Sasuke and cutting him free of the robe binding him. "The man who cried tears of blood as he smothered his emotions and killed his brethren...couldn't bring himself to kill you. Even left behind the most loyal of protectors he could find. Why do you think that is?"

It was slowly starting to hit Sasuke. Everything was clicking into place to make a clearer picture than any he had had before.

"For him, your life weighed more than the village. Until he died...no, even in death, he was thinking of you. So you would gain a new power. So that in defeating him and avenging the Uchiha clan...you would be hailed as a hero in Konoha. Eaten up by disease and feeling his own death approaching, he used medicine provided to him by Aisa, to prolong his life, relying on her to watch you when he couldn't. All for the sake of his beloved brother. He had to fight you...and die before your eyes. For the sake of Konoha's peace, and more than anything, for you, Uchiha Sasuke, he wanted to die a criminal, a traitor. Accepting dishonor in payment for honor...and hatred in payment for love, even then, Itachi died smiling."

Such incomparable love...that was what Itachi had left him. He had entrusted the Uchiha name to him, all the while, entrusting Aisa to continue watching over him. It now made sense why Aisa had appeared before him so much over the last few years, always "just dropping by". And in that moment, he finally remembered the last words Itachi spoke to him.

" _I'm sorry, Sasuke...there won't be a next time._ "

-0-0-0-0-

By the time they returned to Konoha, night had fallen and their spirits had hit rock bottom. Tsunade met them at the gate and knew, from the moment she laid eyes on them, that they had failed.

"It was a failure?" she asked.

"Yes, my lady." Sakura replied.

"Damnit! The whole thing felt like we constantly had someone working against us! Even before that Akatsuki bastard showed up!" Kiba growled.

"We did."

Everyone turned to look at Naruto, who was staring at his feet. Sakura questioned what he meant and slowly, Naruto turned.

"Isn't that right...Aisa?"

All eyes turned to Aisa as she turned to face Naruto, one snowy eyebrow rocketing up in questioning.

"What are you talking about, Naruto?" she asked.

"When we were in the forest, one of my clones ran into Itachi." Naruto explained.

It was barely noticeable, just the slightest of movements, but Aisa stiffened up, her shoulders shifting under her cloak. It was almost like she knew whatever Itachi had said to Naruto, was something bad for her.

"Oh?" Aisa voiced, as if unconcerned.

"What's your relationship with him, Aisa?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto, why d-"

Naruto knocked Kiba's hand away from him, his attention focused on Aisa, who had yet to say a word.

"What is it, Aisa!?" he snapped.

Aisa remained quiet. If it wasn't for the visor, Naruto swore she would have been staring at him. The others just stood back, their eyes traveling between the two.

"Why does it matter?" Aisa asked.

Naruto felt like his stomach bottomed out. Itachi had told him that if she wouldn't answer him then he would know if he could trust her or not. She wasn't answering.

"He told me to ask you. Said that if I wanted to know if I could trust you than I should ask you. He said that if you refused to answer than I would have my answer." Naruto said.

Aisa turned to fully face him, squaring her shoulders in the process. Her eyebrow knitted together, as if in displeasure.

"And what else did he say?" she asked.

"He said I shouldn't trust you so easily, that it's in your nature to stab others in the back and look out for yourself and your own interests. That you aren't loyal to us or the village. He said he's known you since you were were a little kid and that he knows you better than anyone but Grandma Tsunade. And that he's seen you turn your back on friends and foes, even family. He said you made a deal with him! Did you?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto! Now isn't the time." Tsunade told him.

But Naruto ignored her. His focus was completely on Aisa.

"Did you!?" he yelled.

"Naruto, stop it! That's en-"

"Even in death, he still has to nose into my business."

Tsunade cut off, everyone turning to look at Aisa as she shook her head. One of her hands came up to run through her hair, pushing the bangs back from her face.

"He always did have to try to push me out of my comfort zone. Said it was good for me. I didn't think he would actually go this far, the jerk." Aisa remarked.

"Aisa...is what he said...is it really true?" Naruto asked.

Aisa dropped her hand. She might as well get this over with. Maybe Naruto would stop trying to push her if she did.

"Yeah...all of it."

Naruto's jaw dropped as the others turned surprised looks on Aisa. Naruto hadn't expected her to just flat out admit it! Tsunade walked up to Aisa's side, taking a hold of her arm and trying to get her to walk away now before she said something she would regret. Naruto, though, wasn't ready to let this go, or to let her off the hook.

"Why!? Aren't you our comrade? Our friend? Why would you get in the way of our mission?" Naruto demanded.

"Don't be naive, Naruto. You've known me less than a month." Aisa retorted. "I've told you before, I've made horrible mistakes in my past. Mistakes like turning my back on family. And it wasn't a mistake because I chose to turn my back. It was a mistake because I did...and let myself get stabbed in the back for my trouble. Yes, Itachi was right. I look out for myself and my own interest. For those closest to me. No one else. But that's human nature, isn't it? So, no, I'm not here because of some misguided loyalty to a village."

Tsunade groaned to herself. It was too late to stop Aisa now. She had started and now she wouldn't stop until she had told Naruto exact what she thought.

"I'm not like you, Naruto. I didn't grow up in a village, so I don't understand this whole "loyalty to a whole" that you and everyone else here seems to live by. Why should I feel loyalty to people I have never met in my life? I don't get it. But I do understand loyalty to those closest to me. Whatever you may think of me, Naruto, I am loyal to Tsuna-nee and as long as she dwells here, I will fight to protect this place, but only because she is here. And as long as the job she gives me is to protect you, I will do so." Aisa said.

"But you sabotaged our mission!" Naruto snapped.

"...Maybe next time you'll listen to me when I tell you not to push me." Aisa said simply.

Naruto couldn't believe his ears. She wasn't even trying to deny any of it.

"Trust me or not, Naruto, it doesn't really matter. I've done my job and will continue to do it. I'm not here to make friends, because when this is all said and done and you, and this village, are safe, I will go back to my solitary life. I made a deal with Itachi, yes, but I don't have to explain myself to you. If you want to hate me for it...well, that's your choice."

With that said, Aisa turned on her heel and walked away. Even Tsunade calling her name didn't make Aisa stop. Kakashi, who had watched the whole thing quietly, watched as Aisa walked away from them. She carried her head held high and never once looked back even when Naruto yelled, "Fine then!" back at her.

But Kakashi could have sworn...he saw her shoulders hunch ever so slightly in defeat.

END

Kyandi: And there's a little more of a glimpse at who Aisa really is.

Aisa: And in the next chapter, they'll get more.

Kyandi: Yep. For now, I'm pretty much going to go ahead and just wrap up this chapter.

Aisa: It really was on the longer side.

Kyandi: Yep. It would have been shorter, but I really wanted to include the back story with Itachi.

Aisa: I did play a part in it.

Kyandi: If only they knew how much.

Aisa: Spoilers.

Kyandi: Right! Everyone, please enjoy and review.

Aisa: We shall return soon.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	11. Grieving

Kyandi: Hey, Kyandiacs.

Aisa: We apologize for being away for so long.

Kyandi: I have no internet right now and it's looking like I won't until Christmas.

Aisa: We're trying to use the internet at the nearest library but...

Kyandi: The nearest library is twenty miles from me and it's wi-fi barely wants to work.

Aisa: But we have managed to bring you this chapter.

Kyandi: Yep. And things are really starting to pick up too.

Aisa: Oh, so one of my secrets is about to come out in the open?

Kyandi: Yep! So everyone enjoy and review.

Aisa: Kyandi-sama does not own Naruto.

Chapter 11 Grieving

"Aisa? Hey Aisa, are you okay?"

"No."

Aisa rolled over, for the most part, ignoring the voice speaking to her. Behind her, she heard a sigh. Currently, she laid on her couch, one arm tucked under her head. After the little blow out with Naruto, she had returned to her apartment, shedding her gear and clothes the moment she closed and locked her front door behind her. A shower and a change of clothes later found her sprawled across her couch. There she had laid for the next day.

Aisa, her back to the room around her, felt something jump up onto the couch before it hopped up onto her hip. She knew what it was.

"Hey, I know you're sad, but you gotta talk about it. Bottling it up, even for a shinobi, isn't good." came the soft, somewhat high pitch voice.

"You're not suppose to be talking, Ihai." Aisa retorted.

Ihai, her puppy, sat on her hip looking down at her, his ears back against his head. He heaved a sigh, growling lowly to himself.

"Why not? Lots of ninja hounds talk. Pakkun and his fellow hounds do." Ihai complained.

"Yes, but you're suppose to be able to pass for a normal dog. Talking dog screams ninja hound. If I let you get away with it now, you'll slip up later on." Aisa said, though her scolding felt a little flat to Ihai.

"You can't even put any heart behind that scolding! I know you're upset about Itachi, but does this happen to have anything to do with the fight with Naruto?" Ihai asked.

"No. Naruto's naive if he thinks everyone is going to be his friend. Naive and pushy." Aisa replied.

"Reminds you of someone, don't it?" Ihai asked.

"Yes, and I didn't get along with him either." Aisa retorted.

Ihai stared at Aisa. Even being young like he was, he knew Aisa. She didn't get close to people, couldn't bring herself to, but those who managed to get close to her, held her full heart in the palm of their hands. When she loss them, she grieved deeply. Despite knowing that this was how it was going to end, that he was going to die soon, rather by illness or Sasuke's hand, Itachi was still close to Aisa. His death was hurting her all the same.

If left alone, like she wanted to be, Aisa could dwell in her grief for days, never moving from her spot. Not even to eat. Ihai couldn't let her lay there like that. She had already been laying in one place for a full day, and he could hear her stomach growling in protest. Normally, Arufa or Omu would be the ones to get Aisa back on her feet, but the two had their own issues and Ihai had a feeling that Aisa needed a human this time.

She couldn't always converse with only canines.

Ihai thought for a moment. Aisa hadn't really made friends since coming to the village. She wasn't exactly a "friends" kind of person. There was Tsunade and Shizune, of course, but the two were always busy. Ihai didn't want to bother them with this. Even if it was just someone that Aisa seemed to somewhat get along with, it would be good. Ihai thought for a moment and when a person came to mind, Ihai's shoulders sagged. He didn't really want to go to this person, but it was all he could think off. Looking back at Aisa, Ihai heaved a sigh.

"Fine, I'll leave you alone. Since you won't, I'll take myself for a walk." Ihai told her.

"Have fun." was the idle reply from Aisa as she flapped a hand at him.

Ihai hopped down off her hip, padding away to the door of her balcony. She had left it cracked open for him so he could come and go as he pleased. Glancing back over his shoulder, Ihai looked at Aisa. He called a good bye to her, but when he got nothing in return, Ihai turned and left.

Hopefully he could get some help.

-0-0-0-0-

Another book done.

Kakashi, done reading, closed the book in his hand. A glance at his window showed the sun already inching it's way towards setting. Upon returning from their mission to locate Sasuke, Tsunade had given them all some time off. Kakashi had started reading his book around dawn. Apparently had he been too deeply lost in the book that he had managed to waste away the whole day. Well...most of it.

Now that he was done, his mind went to the first issue it could think of.

Aisa.

Kakashi wasn't sure what to think of Aisa. She was loyal to Tsunade, there was no doubt about it, and Tsunade had given her the job of protecting Naruto. He understood that protecting Naruto didn't mean she had to care if their missions succeeded or not, as long as Naruto was safe. And, when he thought about it, Kakashi could understand why Aisa had done what she had on the last mission. She had a conflict of interest, had tried to say as much, but Naruto had pushed her. While she could have handled the whole thing differently, Kakashi knew that it was kind of on Naruto. If he hadn't pushed her, it might have turned out differently.

The issue then became...how to fix the strife now present in their team?

"Yo, Steel-For-Brains."

Kakashi raised his head when he heard the voice. He glanced around his room, even checked his window, but saw no one. He was sure, though, that he had heard a voice.

"Down here, you idiot."

Kakashi shifted forward on his bed to peer down at the floor. One of his eyebrows rocketed up when he was met with the gaze of Aisa's puppy, Ihai. The puppy sat on the floor, staring up at him. What in the world was the puppy doing there and had the voice come from the puppy? As far as Kakashi knew, Ihai didn't talk. Not all ninja dogs did.

"Are you just going to sit there and stare?"

Okay, so Ihai could talk.

"What are you doing here?" Kakashi asked, letting go of the fact that Ihai had hidden the fact that he could talk.

"As much as it pains me to say it, I need your help." Ihai replied, hopping up onto the bed.

"My help? With what?" Kakashi asked.

"Aisa."

Kakashi's eye narrowed. What could be wrong with Aisa? It obviously wasn't a life or death situation or Ihai wouldn't be sitting there, calm as could be.

"What about her?" Kakashi asked.

"Whatever you or the others might think of her after that last mission, you gotta know...she does have a heart. The entire mission she was suffering because she knew what was going to happen between Sasuke and Itachi. Itachi was close to her, you know." Ihai replied.

"I figured as much. She did seem off the whole time." Kakashi remarked.

"Aisa doesn't let a lot of people close, and for a good reason, but when she does and she loses that person...she grieves deeply. Just not in the public eye." Ihai told him.

"And you need my help with what?" Kakashi asked.

"I need someone to get her back on her feet or she'll spend the next week just laying there without eating. That's her way of grieving. I need someone to go over there and make her get up. Tsunade and Shizune are busy and you're the only other one that she's even remotely fond of." Ihai replied.

"Did you think that, maybe, she might not want to see me?" Kakashi asked.

" **I** don't want to see you, so if that's the case...the feeling is mutual." Ihai retorted sourly.

Exactly what he had done to make the puppy dislike him so much, was beyond Kakashi. The dog obviously didn't care for him one bit but felt like Aisa liked him. It was the only reason he was coming to Kakashi when he would rather not.

"But that's not the case, so get up. She hasn't ate a thing since leaving on that mission with all of you." Ihai barked.

Kakashi figured it was probably just better to do as the puppy wanted. Ihai didn't seem like he was in any kind of mood to deal with Kakashi saying no. Besides, he didn't like the idea of Aisa doing this to herself. Everyone had their way to grieve, but Aisa's was really unhealthy.

Getting up off his bed, he grabbed his flak jacket and slid into his shoes. Ihai lead the way back to Aisa's apartment and when they landed on the balcony, he slid back into the apartment through the cracked open door. Kakashi stepped up to the door, sliding the door open. He peered into the room. It wasn't hard to spot Aisa. She was laying on the couch her back to the room. Today she was wearing a loosely wrapped, sleeveless short kimono, her hair left to tumble over the edge of the couch.

She didn't act like she knew he was there at all. Ihai trotted across the room, jumping up on the arm of the couch to look down at Aisa.

"Aisa...get up." Ihai told her.

There was no reply from Aisa. Ihai huffed, reaching out with one paw to push at her head, demanding, once more, that she get up. Still Aisa didn't reply. Ihai gave Kakashi a pointed look then, as if he was silently demanding that Kakashi do something. Kakashi stepped into the room, sliding the door closed. He was surprised that Aisa hadn't already realized that he was there.

"You know, laying there like that, isn't healthy."

"Yeah, I kn...wait a second..."

Aisa jolted up then, whipping around to face him. One side of the kimono slid open, the material sliding down over her shoulder and her hair was sticking out in certain places.

"Hatake-san!? What are you doing here?!" she asked.

"I brought him." Ihai said, Asia turning towards him. "You're welcome."

With that, Ihai turned, jumped down from the couch and vanished off into the bedroom of the apartment. Aisa muttered something about an ungrateful mutt before turning back towards Kakashi, reaching up to fix her kimono.

"Hatake-san, why are you here?" she asked.

Her tone was flat, as if she was, one again, hiding behind a mask. Despite that, he could tell the effects of the death of a close friend in the way her shoulders shagged and in the line of her mouth. Her lips were pressed thin, thinner than usual, and where her shoulders were usually straight, there was a slight hunch to them now.

She truly was grieving and she didn't want anyone to see it.

It explained the way her shoulders had slumped after she had walked away from them when they had returned to the village. It hadn't been because of the fight with Naruto, but because of the realization that her old friend had died.

"I could almost hear your stomach growling from across the village." Kakashi replied, though it was more of a joke.

"Even if you could, I doubt that's the reason you're here." Aisa retorted.

"Meaning?"

"Naruto and the others hate me, you should too, so...why are you here?" Aisa asked.

"Naruto doesn't hate you." Kakashi told her.

"Now you're the one being naive."

Aisa pushed herself to her feet, and turned away from him. She walked across the room, one hand going out to run over the top of a covered canvas.

"I can't see his face, but I can tell anger when I hear it." Aisa remarked.

"Exactly. He's angry, but that'll pass." Kakashi told her.

"I don't want it to."

Kakashi stared at her as she turned, facing the canvas to fiddle with the clothe covering it. It was almost as if she was just trying to find something for her hands to do.

"Naruto needs to learn that not everyone is going to be his friend. He needs to realize that there are people out there after him and he can't blindly trust others. The world isn't nice to people like that... **I'm** not nice for people like that." Aisa replied.

"So is this about teaching Naruto a lesson...or is it about you?" Kakashi asked, claiming a perch on the arm of her couch.

"What do you mean?" Aisa demanded, twisting towards him.

"It sounds more like you're trying to punish yourself than trying to teach Naruto a lesson. What you said to Naruto, how you acted then and now...you're trying to make us hate you. You're trying to push us away."

He was sure of it. He had pegged Aisa as several things in the time she had been around him. She was stubborn, kept secrets, a bit socially awkward, and a hard fighter. But she wasn't as cold hearted and cruel as she had tried to make herself out to be. The fact that she grieved so deeply for the loss of another, proved that. Naruto might buy into it for now, he might grow angry at her, might even refuse to have anything to do with her for a while, but Kakashi, himself, wasn't so easy fooled.

He watched as Aisa's muscles tensed, trying not to do anything that could act as a tell. She dropped her arms to let them hang at her sides before she turned to face him.

"What makes you so sure about that?" she asked.

"I am a Jōnin. Observing my surroundings is apart of my job. Besides...I'm not as guliable as Naruto." Kakashi replied, heaving a sigh with the last part.

"You're still wrong."

Kakashi watched as Aisa turned towards the half counter separating the living room from the kitchen. She perched herself on one of the two bar stools and leaned on the counter.

"I am guilty of everything Itachi told Naruto. It doesn't matter what excuses or reasons are behind it, I'm still guilty. If Naruto wants to hate me for that, or for the fact that I helped an old friend with his final wish, then let him." Aisa remarked.

"You really did make a deal with Uchiha Itachi, then?" Kakashi asked.

"I did. It was more of a mutual benefit situation than anything. I promised not to get in his way, to lend a hand to make sure his plans with Sasuke played out...and he kept my secrets to himself. You could also call it blackmail, but that's how it was." Aisa explained. "There are things about me that are better left unknown and Itachi was dying already, his body riddled with disease. I only granted an old friend's final wish in this world."

Kakashi looked over at her as she admitted this to him. She was idly running a hand through her hair, finger combing some tangles out.

"You were protecting yourself and helping a friend." Kakashi remarked.

"I was protecting Tsuna-nee. There are things in my past, things I've done, who I was...who I am, that would make her look bad for putting her trust in me. I don't get the whole dynamic of a village, but I do understand that the people need to be able to trust her and she needs their trust in her. I won't be responsible for tarnishing that." Aisa replied.

Well...no one could claim she wasn't loyal to Tsunade, at least.

And she had a reason for the way she had acted. She just didn't say anything because she didn't want anyone to know that there were things about her that would make others question Tsunade's judgement. He wasn't going to pry into those secrets, but he wasn't going to leave things as they were. Aisa was grieving the loss of an old friend, all while trying to keep up this facade so others would hate her and keep their distance from her.

It was a heartbreaking position...not to mention, a lonely one.

Aisa jolted when she felt his hand on her shoulder. She had been lost in her thoughts and hadn't noticed when he moved from his perch on the arm of the couch. She felt his grip squeeze for a moment before he let go and leaned against the counter beside her.

"Naruto would understand that." Kakashi told her.

"Maybe, but then he would pry into my past. Besides...not everyone needs to like him. Right now, I am annoyed by his pushiness." Aisa retorted.

She had him there. Kakashi scratched at one cheek. He couldn't really deny her that. Naruto, with most people, had the ability to make people, sooner or later, like him. But, Aisa had a point. Naruto was an acquired taste and not everyone had to like Naruto and he had done quite a bit to annoy her. Kakashi had come to notice that Aisa was the type of person that didn't like being pushed to do anything. If she did anything, it was of her own choice, on her own time.

"Let him be angry. After all...I did get in his way of bringing home his friend." Aisa replied. "He deserves to be angry at something. I've always played the part of scapegoat pretty well."

She might have a point and it wasn't his place to tell her what to do with her relationships and life, so he let the subject go. Instead, he laid a hand on her shoulder. **He** wouldn't be pushed away. She needed at least one friend in her life.

Well, one that wasn't a puppy with a bad attitude.

"Let's go." he told her.

"Go? Where?" she asked.

"To get something to eat. If you want to be of help to the Hokage, starving yourself isn't the way to go about it." he told her.

Aisa frowned. She opened her mouth to tell him she wasn't hungry and he could just leave, but her stomach chose that moment to give it's loudest grumble yet. Her mouth snapped shut, her lips pinching together. Kakashi couldn't help but smile. She might not be honest...but her stomach sure was.

Heaving a sigh and unable to deny the emptiness of her stomach, Aisa agreed to accompany him. She stepped into her room for a moment to tell Ihai before rejoining him in her living room. Kakashi was eyeing the covered canvas.

"Have you been painting again?" he asked.

"I have, but it's not finished." Aisa replied.

He was curious as to what she had been painting, but he didn't ask. He figured he had nosed into her life enough for one day. They left then, Kakashi taking her to his favorite place to eat. Once they were seated, had ordered, and had their food in front of them, Aisa started eating. She didn't rush or scarf it down, but she did end up eating more than he did.

Kakashi silently laughed at the whole thing. At least she still didn't eat as much as Naruto did.

"You're laughing at me. I can tell." Aisa remarked. "What is so funny?"

"It's nothing." he promised her.

"If you say so."

Aisa turned back to the dessert sitting in front of her. She paused for a moment, and heaved a sigh. Instead of finishing the dish, she fiddled with the little, colorful desserts.

"Is something wrong?" Kakashi asked.

"If you want honesty...Dango was Itachi's favorite. I was merely remembering the last time I ate some with him." Aisa replied lowly.

"You really did care for him."

"He was my best friend growing up. We are the same age, you know. We met when were little and he was out on a mission with his team. I believe we were seven or eight at the time. He had gotten separated from his team and had stumbled across my little home." Caught in her own memories, Aisa chuckled to herself, a small smile curling her lips. "Naturally, I saw the symbol of the village and thought he was there after me. Of course, I protected myself. I quickly realized that he was no ordinary shinobi."

"He won?" Kakashi asked.

Aisa shook her head, her snowy hair swishing back and forth. "No. It was more of a draw. He had tried to tell me he wasn't there for me, that he had merely gotten separated from his team, but I panicked easily back then and didn't listen. Of course, neither of us was going to allow the other to beat up on us. We ended up tired and decided to call a draw."

Kakashi couldn't imagine anyone making Uchiha Itachi call a draw. Even at that age. Aisa seemed to pick up on his doubt.

"You know, despite everything he's done...Itachi was a pacifist. Especially back then." Aisa told him.

"That's hard to believe."

"You should know, after all this time, Hatake-san, that not everything is as it seems. I knew Itachi better than most. Better than Sasuke did, in fact, which is sad to admit. Though he was, deep down, a pacifist, he did what he had to for his plan to come to fruition." Aisa told him.

"You know the reason behind everything he did?" Kakashi asked.

"I do."

"That was the whole point of his blackmailing you, wasn't it?"

Aisa remained silent for a moment, still fiddling with the dango on the plate in front of her. "I knew a lot about Itachi. We were so close that we didn't keep many secrets from each other. For us, we always felt that the other person was the best person to go to for advice. The truth of the matter was a horrible secret he wanted to take to the grave. Even now, it would dishonor our friendship to speak of it. Not to mention...it would be best, just like with my own secrets, that it never comes to know the light of day."

So she wouldn't tell him. Everyone would continue going about life, never understanding why Itachi had done the things he had done. If Aisa was as devoted to her friendship with Itachi as she was to her relationship with Tsunade, she would take the secret to her grave. Kakashi couldn't fault her that. Besides...what did it really matter now? Itachi was dead.

"So you two were friends." Kakashi stated.

"There was more to it than that. It was a much closer bond than that." Aisa replied idly.

Wait...did she mean they had been lovers?

For some reason, that didn't sit right with Kakashi. Of course, as Leaf shinobi, it wasn't right for her to have such a relationship with an enemy of the village, but it had already been established that Aisa didn't understand, or do, the whole loyalty to the village thing. But that wasn't all there was to his ill feeling. He didn't like the thought of Aisa being in that kind of relationship with Itachi. He wasn't sure he wanted to explore the reason behind that, though.

"You two were..."

Kakashi trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging in the air. Aisa, the sharp and bright one that she was, figured out what he meant, though. Kakashi stared in surprise as Aisa actually laughed. One of her hands flew up to slap over her mouth, hiding the smile that curled her lips upward. For a moment, she sat there, covering her mouth, her shoulders shaking as she fought to rein in her laughter. Even when she had it under control enough to speak, small giggles still escaped her, like the ringing of a store bell.

"Oh heavens, no! He was great to me, kind and always there if I needed him, but he was always more like a brother to me than anything. I was comfortable with him, but not **that** comfortable. I merely meant that it was more like a familial bond than it was a friendship." she assured him.

Watching as she continued to laugh now and then, a smile still on her face, Kakashi couldn't help but smile himself. It was the first time he had actually seen her laugh. While, yes, she as painting a picture of Itachi that Kakashi couldn't get to line up with the Itachi he had known about, it was nice to see her relaxed enough to let the mask slip. He also felt a little relieved that that hadn't been the type of relationship between Aisa and Itachi that he had thought it was.

"You know, I just realized something."

Kakashi's mind snapped back to the conversation at hand, one of his eyebrows raising as she focused in on him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"We always talk about me when we have a moment together like this. It's a bit unfair, don't you think?" she asked.

"You want...to know about me?"

Aisa nodded. She scooted her plate away from her, folding her arms on the table top. It was as if she was saying, "I'm listening so entertain me". Kakashi didn't know what to tell her really. Just like she had painful things in her past that she didn't want to bring up, so did he.

"What do you want to know?" he asked.

"Well...how about your family? Do you have siblings?" she asked.

"No. My mother died when I was very young and my father when I was five." Kakashi answered.

"I had heard of what became of your father, though I have a feeling that saying I'm sorry wouldn't do much for you, if anything at all." Aisa replied.

Kakashi fell silent, but his silence was answer enough for her. He was surprised, though, when she suddenly reached across the table, laying a hand on his.

"I wish I knew what to say in a situation like that, but I don't. If I was to be honest, though, the decision he made when faced with the choice between his mission and teammates...I personally don't see that he was wrong, but that's only my opinion and I have no right to offer it. However, I have learned one thing in my life and that is that an ear willing to listen is sometimes the best medicine for a broken heart." she told him.

Kakashi smiled wistfully as he laid his free hand on top of hers. To him, her hands were ice cold to the touch, as if they didn't have any heat to them at all. It made him wonder if they were always like that. He was honestly a little surprised that she believed his father's choice to be the right one. Given how she was about making connections and just simply doing her job, he had thought she would have disagreed with his father's choice.

He was glad he had been wrong.

"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind." he told her.

Aisa gave his hand a squeeze before pulling her hand back. She gave him a bit of a rueful smile in reply.

"You know, most times when people say that, they usually mean, "no thanks"." she told him.

Kakashi chuckled in reply. Well, she had a point.

"The same can be said of you." he told her.

"But I have talked to you about my family. I haven't given you details because...well, they're not pretty. I'm suppose to be trying to fit in, correct? Those details would only further isolate me. Not everyone can be so understanding and the history of my past is long and complicated." Aisa told him.

He could understand that, but it really made him want to know what exactly had lead Aisa to being who she was. What had led her to the choices she had made and what had hurt her so much that she hid herself behind masks and walls. But that could be put off for another time. For now, he had to focus on mending the rift in his team. And given their levels of stubbornness, he knew exactly where to start.

He just had to hope he could make Naruto see reason.

-0-0-0-0-

"Are you still mad?"

Naruto, his arms crossed, turned his face away from Sakura who sat across from him with Sai. Seeing the stubborn look on his face, Sakura heaved a sigh. She had been trying, for the last two days, to talk Naruto into going and seeing Aisa. They couldn't continue with this kind of conflict in their team. But Naruto was being stubborn. He refused to even speak of Aisa.

"Come on, Naruto. This is stupid." Sakura told him.

"She lied to us, Sakura-chan!" Naruto snapped, whipping around to look at her. "She was working with Itachi the whole time."

"It could be a misunderstanding." Sai offered.

"She admitted it!" Naruto snapped.

"Not everything is as it seem, Naruto. You of all people should know this."

Naruto twisted in his seat as Sakura gasped out, "Kakashi-sensei!". Kakashi stood just behind the booth bench that Naruto sat in. He gave the three a two finger wave in greeting, leaning on the back of Naruto's booth.

"What are you talking about, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"May I sit?" Kakashi asked, instead of answering.

Naruto scooted over, making room for Kakashi to sit. Kakashi angled his body into the booth, Naruto staring at him while he waited for him to explain.

"I went to see Aisa, myself." Kakashi started.

"And? How is she?" Sakura asked.

"She's grieving."

Naruto clicked his tongue in annoyance and turned his face away from the others, to stare out of the window. He didn't want to hear how upset she was because a murderer died.

"I got her to explain to me about her relationship with Itachi."

Now **that** caught Naruto's attention and had him turning his eyes back to Kakashi. Kakashi was glad that that was all it took to get him to listen to what he was about to say.

"Apparently, when they were younger, they became friends and were quite close. Because of that, Aisa was privy to the inner workings of Itachi's mind. He even trusted her with the truth behind why he has done the things he has done. In turn, he knew some grave secrets about her as well." Itachi explained.

Sakura seemed to catch onto the meaning behind this before either of her squad mates did. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"He was blackmailing her."

Kakashi nodded. Naruto's face went from being angry, to sick-to-his-stomach. He looked like someone had just kicked him in the stomach. While he still didn't like the fact that, even after Itachi died, she refused to tell them anything, he understood why she had done what she had done. And now he felt like crap because he had given her such a hard time.

With a groan, the blonde dropped his head onto the table, his fingers digging into his hair as he ruffled it in annoyance with himself. Aisa had just been trying to protect herself. Given how mistrusting of most people she could be, he should have guessed that was the case.

"But why is she still keeping his secrets, even though he is dead now?" Sai asked. "It is not as if he can continue to hold her secrets over her head.

"Whatever he may have done to insure her silence, Uchiha Itachi was Aisa's friend. According to the wolf, Omu, Aisa, when it comes to those she actually lets near, is loyal to a fault. She has known him for the majority of her life and had been close to him. She said that, even in death and despite his attempt to blackmail her, she still wants to honor the friendship they had. So she won't say anything." Kakashi replied.

"Poor Aisa." Sakura muttered lowly.

Naruto didn't get Aisa, but he could understand the loyalty to a friend that had turned his back on him. After all...that was his relationship with Sasuke. Sakura turned to look at Naruto then.

"I hope you feel bad now, idiot." she told him.

Naruto's expression turned sheepish as he scratched at one cheek. He really did feel bad about the whole thing. And now that he thought about it, Aisa's response to him, had probably just been her trying to keep from getting hurt. Just her backing off before her feelings could get involved.

"You need to go apologize, Naruto." Sakura demanded.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Turning to Kakashi, Naruto groaned. He was not going to like facing Aisa and admitting he was in the wrong. "Where is she?"

-0-0-0-0-

Finding Aisa was a bit of a trial since she wasn't at home and neither was Ihai, who could have taken them to her easily. Thankfully, the old woman who worked in the shop under Aisa's apartment, was able to tell them where Aisa had been headed when she had left her apartment that morning. She told them that when she had asked Aisa where she was off to so early in the morning, Aisa had replied that she was going to visit an old friend in the back hills of the village.

With the help of Pakkun after running into Yamato, who agreed to join them, they found Aisa easily, finding her sitting cross legged in front of a hand made grave marker covered in flowers. Ihai as sitting beside Aisa and perked up the moment he saw them approach from the foot of the hill. Ihai's eyes landed on Naruto and the little puppy ran forward, making Naruto come to a stop about five yards short of Aisa. The puppy growled at him, as if he blamed Naruto for Aisa's upset state.

"She doesn't want to see you!"

Naruto stared at the puppy as he spoke. He hadn't known that Ihai could speak. That aside, though, the puppy was definitely displeased with him.

"Ihai, have you forgotten? I can't see." came Aisa's voice, making Ihai spin to look at her back.

"Aisa!" he growled in protest, for he knew where she was going with that comment.

"Let him by." Aisa ordered.

Ihai looked from Aisa's back to Naruto before huffing. He wheeled around and ran back to Aisa, planting himself right at her side, glaring at Naruto as he approached Aisa. As he did, the caught sight of the name on the grave marker she was sitting in front of: Uchiha Itachi. She had made a grave marker for her old friend. Ihai growled when he deemed Naruto close enough and Aisa reached out to flick the pup across the nose, making him whimper.

"What is it, Naruto?"

Aisa didn't get up, she didn't turn in his direction, and her tone was formal and clipped. She didn't want to talk to him, but she wasn't going to be rude and not give him the chance to talk. After all, she had said her piece, so it was his turn.

"Kakashi-sensei told me the truth behind why you sided with Itachi." Naruto told her.

"He did?"

"Are you mad that he did?" Naruto asked.

"No, I'm not. It doesn't matter anymore, so I don't care if you know that much." Aisa replied.

For a moment Naruto tried to get his words together, trying to figure out how to say this. Aisa sat there quietly, giving him the time while the others remained back.

"Aisa...I'm sorry."

Silence.

For a moment, that was all that greeted Naruto's words. And then Aisa's shoulders rose and dropped as she heaved a sigh.

"Exactly what are you sorry for, Naruto?" she asked.

"For pushing you, I guess. And for misjudging you." Naruto replied, scratching one cheek.

"You didn't misjudge me. You simply were just going off the information you had. I've told you before, Naruto...most things aren't what they seem."

"Yeah. I see now that you were just saying that stuff to get me to stop pushing." Naruto said.

"You're only half right."

Naruto looked at Aisa, confused as to what she meant by this. How was he only half right? Sensing that he wasn't quite getting it, Aisa continued.

"I meant everything I said, Naruto."

Naruto opened his mouth to say something in reply, but it was then that Aisa moved. Moving with a stiffness that suggested she had been sitting in the same position for a while now, she rose to her feet, dusting off the back of her kimono before she turned to face him.

"Rest assured, Naruto, I have no ill intentions towards you, this village, or its villagers. You can trust me with your life, for that is my job here. But that aside...I am exactly what Itachi made me out to be and I meant every word I said. I don't trust easily, Naruto. I'm not the easiest to get along with, I look out for myself over others except for when it comes to certain people, I have turned my back on family for reasons I'm not going to discuss, and I don't make friends because it's just more people who can put a kunai in my back. I'm not someone you should try to understand, and quite frankly...you annoy me with how much you constantly want to push my boundries lines."

Naruto kind of deflated when she said that. He wasn't new to people not liking him, but he had kind of hoped that apologizing would mend the rift between him and Aisa. It didn't seem to be the case. She didn't want him getting close to her. Though he couldn't blame her for not wanting to lose another close friend. Aisa tilted her head, then, turning to fully face him.

"I'm not saying I hate you, Naruto. You're just highly annoying."

"You're starting to sound like Sakura." Naruto complained, Sakura frowning from behind him.

"Not everyone has to like you, Naruto, and as I said, I'm not someone you should try to understand. Trust me...you won't like what you find if you look too deeply." Aisa replied.

"So this isn't because I'm a monster?" he asked, sounding hurt.

Aisa's lips visibly twisted into a scowl at the word "monster". Even her eyebrows snapped down in displeasure. She obviously didn't like the sound of that word.

"You have a monster **inside** you, but **you** are not a monster, Naruto. I never once even considered the nine tail fox whenever I spoke to you. That thing does not make you a monster, it is not you. Trust me...it takes a monster to recognize another and I don't recognize you. Not in that way." Aisa assured him.

"You aren't a monster, Aisa." Sakura piped in.

"You have no idea, Sakura. Don't be fooled by a wolf in sheep's clothing." Aisa replied.

"If you were dangerous then Lady Tsunade wouldn't have brought you to the village." Sakura argued.

"She brought me to the village **because** I'm dangerous. Every shinobi, in their own right, is dangerous."

Aisa had a point there. Before anyone else could say anything, Aisa shook her head. She heaved a sigh, as if she was tired and ready to lay down or something.

"What will it take to end this current conversation? I've been depressed enough lately and this is only depressing me more." Aisa said.

The others smiled at Aisa's attempt to change the conversation. At least it didn't look like she was going to hold the fight against Naruto and was willing to look past the whole thing. Kakashi suggested they all grab a bite to eat, as a team. The moment he mentioned food, Aisa's stomach growled, making the young woman press her hands to her stomach as the others looked at her.

"It seems every time you mention food, Hatake-san, my stomach growls. It's weird." Aisa remarked.

Kakashi highly doubted that was his fault. Aisa had probably just forgotten to pack herself a lunch when she had come out to the back hills. Which she did a lot when she had a free day off. It was almost as if the girl didn't recognize the feeling of an empty stomach for what it was until its growling was loud enough for everyone to hear.

With the rift in their team somewhat mended, the six of them parted with the grave marker and headed back into the center point of the village. Kakashi, though, glanced over at Aisa. He didn't like how little he knew about her. Especially when the hints she dropped about her past made it sound really bad. Every shinobi had their secrets, just as every village did, and every shinobi had something in their past they weren't proud off, but when it came to Aisa, it wasn't that she wasn't proud of it. She hated herself for it. The secret, whatever it was, was huge and she seemed afraid that it could, and would, endanger all around her.

Like with all big secrets, eventually, this one would come to light.

He hated to see how Aisa acted when that happened.

-0-0-0-0-

Over the next few days, Kakashi only saw Aisa in passing. It seemed that Tsunade had her running all over the place and whenever they saw each other, Aisa only had the time to greet Kakashi before having to rush away. It was a little entertaining, especially when she had Shizune with her and the other female would drag her away by the elbow.

Today was no different and found Kakashi walking through the village with Yamato, Naruto, Sakura, and Sai. Kakashi and Yamato were talking while their three younger teammates were chatting away. Suddenly Naruto came to a stop.

"Who's that?"

They all turned as Naruto suddenly pointed down the street. At the end of the street they stood on, Aisa stood there, head together with someone they had never seen before. It was a young man with a shaggy head of blood red hair. One, thin braid fell over his right shoulder and when he would raise his head, they could see he had the most piercing, green eyes that were so light in color, they drew most people's attention. He was taller than Aisa by, at least, his head and shoulder, was lanky, and pale with a splatter of freckles across his nose.

"No idea. I've never seen him before." Sakura remarked.

Naruto, who now had a little suspicion towards Aisa for everything she did after the whole incident with Itachi, started forward, determined to nose his way into Aisa's business, once again. Normally, Kakashi would have stopped Naruto, but he was curious of this man who stood so close to Aisa, his head so close, that one could mistaken him for kissing her.

"Aisa!"

Aisa turned, pulling her head away from the man when she heard Naruto call her name. Naruto eyed the man as he neared the two, Sakura and the others behind him. Sakura was trying to talk him out of confronting Aisa after they had just mended the last rift, but Naruto wasn't listening. The man beside Aisa took one look at Naruto's face and glanced at Aisa in concern, but Aisa didn't seem to care.

"Oh. Hello, Naruto. Do you need something?" Aisa asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Yeah...who's this? He's not messin' with you, is he?" Naruto demanded.

"Naruto!" Sakura snapped.

"It's fine." Aisa assured Sakura, holding up on hand. "No, Naruto. This is an old friend of mine. In a way, I've told you about him before. This is Shitarou...Chirura Shitarou, the grandson of the last head of the Chirura clan."

Chirura.

All of their eyes turned to Shitarou who smiled and gave them a sheepish wave in greeting. With the other hand, he rubbed back of his neck, all while trying to smile and appear as non-threatening as possible.

"Wait... _ **SAY WHAT!?**_ "

END

Kyandi: Bet none of you saw **that** coming.

Aisa: They probably all thought that I was the Chirura heir that killed the clan.

Kyandi: What is that quaint little expression you always use?

Aisa: Not everything is as it seems.

Kyandi: That's the one!

Aisa: Things still aren't as they seem though.

Kyandi: True. But to find out those secrets, all of you will have to continue reading.

Aisa: With that in mind, we're going to go back to writing.

Kyandi: Uh-huh. So everyone, enjoy and review.

Aisa: We will return as soon as we get another chance.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	12. Not Leaving You

Kyandi: I'm back!

Aisa: And we have another chapter for you, obviously.

Kyandi: Thankfully, I'm somewhere with internet, so I'm trying to update as many stories as I can.

Aisa: Which means, she going to have to go through this intro as fast as she could.

Kyandi: That's right. Hopefully all of you will enjoy this chapter.

Aisa: She had fun writing it.

Kyandi: That I did. So, everyone, enjoy and review.

Aisa: Kyandi-sama does not own Naruto.

Chapter 12 Not Leaving You

"Wow, that was loud..."

Aisa had to agree as she rubbed her poor abused ears. Beside her, Shitarou was doing the same after both of them had had their eardrums yelled out by Naruto.

"I take it these are your teammates." Shitarou stated.

"Yes, they are." Aisa confirmed.

"Chirura!? **Chirura!?** " Naruto sputtered out.

"Lower your voice, Naruto." Aisa told him tartly.

Naruto instantly snapped his hands over his mouth and looked around to make sure no one had heard him. Thankfully, no one was paying him any attention. He turned back to Aisa and her friend, his eyes scanning Shitarou as he dropped his hands.

"Chirura? But his eyes are green. I thought Chirura's eyes were red." Sakura said.

"I'm only half." Shitarou replied.

"He's the child I told you about, Naruto. The one from the story about the clan." Aisa explained.

"You mean **he** killed them all!?" Naruto asked in disbelief.

Shitarou seemed to deflate, his head hanging. "Why does everyone always say that as if they don't believe I could hurt a fly?"

"Because you act like it. Show more backbone." Aisa told him.

"I see you're just as cold and snippy as always." Shitarou retorted, making Aisa frown.

In a flash, she stomped one foot down on his toes. Shitarou yelped and quickly apologized to Aisa while hopping on one foot so he could rub the other. All the while, her teammates watched them, unable to believe they were in the presence of a Chirura. Just knowing that he was half Chirura, had all five of them tensing, their nerves on end. Aisa and Shitarou picked up on the shift to battle ready in her teammates. It put a frown on Aisa's face.

"He's not going to hurt anyone so you can all stop acting like he's about to go on a killing spree." Aisa told them tartly.

"It's fine, Aisa, really. I know what I did was shocking and cruel. Even if it has spared several like myself, it wasn't the right thing to do." Shitarou told her, holding his hands up in an attempt to calm her.

Aisa turned towards him, laying a hand on his arm, her fingers squeezing lightly in a touch of affection.

"You and the others are safe now. Cruel and wrong it might have been, but I would believe it would be a fair trade off considering how much safer several people are." Aisa said.

"Right. Us half bloods weren't the only ones in danger." Shitarou agreed.

The others looked between the two. Even to them, it was like Shitarou and Aisa were sharing a conversation with a double meaning behind each word they spoke. Sakura decided to settle on a safe topic as she tried to relax.

"How do you two know each other?" Sakura asked.

"I lived near the clan growing up." Aisa answered. "Shitarou and I use to meet in the woods and play. We had to be careful though. Shitarou is a half blood and I wasn't part of the clan. If we had been found, we would have been killed."

"I remember you almost got us caught once." Shitarou said with a grin.

"That was not my finest moment as a kinochi. Your laughter didn't help matters either." Aisa retorted.

"Perhaps not, but at least I didn't end up hanging upside down from a tree with my dress over my head. You had the most adorable und-"

"That's enough, thank you." Aisa said, snapping a hand out to cover Shitarou's mouth.

It was easy to tell by the way his eyes shined, that Shitarou was inwardly laughing at Aisa's discomfort. Naruto grinned as he watched two interact. They were obviously old, close, friends.

"Anyway. Shintarou likes to come by and catch up, now and then. We were just heading to get something to eat." Aisa said.

Kakashi looked between the two as Aisa pulled her hand back. He didn't get the feeling that she was lying. If anything, it seemed the arrival of an old friend seemed to make her more relaxed, more open.

"Well, have fun." Yamato told Aisa, still a little nervous to be near a Chirura.

"Aisa? Fun? How long have you known her exactly? She doesn't have "fun". She-"

"We're going. Before you divulge more than I want you to." Aisa said, cutting Shitarou off.

With that, she waved to the others and ushered Shitarou away from them as fast as she could. With her hands on his back, Aisa pushed her taller friend down the street while he laughed at her. They watched until the two vanished.

"For someone who caused so much destruction, he's surprisingly timid and kind." Sakura remarked.

"Aisa did say that he was trying to turn his life around." Naruto replied.

Kakashi, his book held in front of his face, glanced towards the direction Aisa had vanished in. Something Sakura had said, rang over and over in his head. How could someone, who supposedly killed almost a whole clan of his own flesh and blood, be so sociable and kind? How could he be so soft hearted?

Something wasn't right here.

He had a feeling that there was more to Shitarou than what they could see.

And he didn't like it.

-0-0-0-0-

"It's been a long time since we could do this."

Shitarou glanced across the table to where Aisa sat, already eating. She always seemed hungry, even when they had been children, she had always constantly been eating. When he didn't say anything nor reached to eat his own food, Aisa paused and turned her face towards him.

"Something's wrong. I should have known you wouldn't come see me just to chat. What is it?" Aisa asked.

"Aisa...we need help."

Aisa hated it when Shitarou came to see her with those words on his lips. It always spoke ill about how her next few weeks would go, when he did. Heaving a sigh, she set aside her chopsticks and leaned back in her seat.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Do you remember a man named Zumaragi?" Shitarou asked.

"Yeah. He was the right hand man of the previous clan leader. Cruel man, if I remember right. Had two henchmen, twins, Kanega and Nakaru. I never liked the three when I saw them. I always hid as fast as my legs could carry me when they would show up." Aisa remarked.

"So did I. They terrified Mother. Gave her nightmares." Shitarou said. Not that Aisa could have blamed his mother for how she had felt when she was alive. "Glad you remember them...they're still alive."

Aisa stiffened. The three had been three of the worst Chirura to ever exist. They were cruel, even by Chirura standards, bloody, sadistic, and beyond insane. The product of generations of inbreeding and twisted upbringing. They had been the clan's top hunters of half breeds and Leaf shinobi. Aisa could see why Shitarou was nervous and upset.

"Where?" Aisa asked.

"About a week's trip, walking on foot, to the northeast. They're moving slow, taking their time, but there's no doubt in my mind...they're coming here. I already moved the others like me to our second hideout, out of the way of their path. I thought I should warn you so you could warn the Hokage." Shitarou told her.

"I appreciate the heads up. I'll tell Tsuna-nee." Aisa promised, her brow already furrowed as she thought.

"Look, Aisa...I'm sorry we keep having to bring this to you-"

"Stop right there, Shitarou." Aisa shook her head, cutting him off. "I made a promise to you and the others. I'm here when you need the help. I don't particularly like having to do this, but I will. Better me then the rest of you. So don't worry about it. I'll talk to Tsuna-nee and this will be handled. You'll be able to return home soon enough."

"I hope you're right. We've had to uproot our lives enough." Shitarou said lowly.

"I know. Just return to the others and assure them that it'll be fine. I promised that I would be the one to handle these things, and I will." Aisa assured him.

Shitarou stared at her, his expression mournful at best. Reaching across the table, he laid a hand on top of Aisa's, squeezing it until it was a little on the painful side.

"Be careful." he told her.

"I will be as careful as I can. You know how Chiruras like Zumaragi are. It's like battling the world's second worst monster."

"Second?" Shitarou asked.

"Don't you remember...I'm the world's worst monster."

-0-0-0-0-

"Huh...she's not answering."

Naruto frowned as he knocked on the door once more. When Naruto the rest of Team Kakashi, had decided to do some team training, they had Kakashi lead them to Aisa's apartment. Naruto had spent the last two minutes knocking, with no answer from the other side.

"Where could she had gone?" Sakura asked.

"She's not home, dearies."

All five of them leaned over the rail to look down at the ground below. There stood the old woman who ran the shop downstairs. She was smiling up at them, a broom clutched in her weathered, old hands.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but what did you say?" Sakura asked.

"Aisa left two mornings ago. She had her pack all packed up. Said something about a mission that would have her away for a while." the woman said.

"Did she say how long or what the mission was?" Yamato asked.

"All she did was ask that I look after a few things for her since she was sure to be away for more than a week." the old woman replied.

More than a week.

Yamato and Kakashi shared a look. What kind of job would keep Aisa away so long and why hadn't she, at least, given them a heads up? The few missions she had had so far without them, she had at least told them that she was going to be gone for a while. This time, she had just left. Kakashi suddenly had a bad feeling in his gut. Aisa seemed the kind of person who was set in her ways, a person of habit. If she did something once, she was likely to repeat it. Something that was a bad trait to have as a shinobi, for it made them predictable, but it came in handy for him for it told him that if she was willing to break that routine action, then something was up.

"Hey! Steel-for-brains, is that you!?"

A sudden voice speaking up, had Kakashi turning towards the balcony just a jump from her front porch. He knew that voice and that insulting nickname. Hopping across to the balcony, he found the screen latched in place, but the door beyond open. Peering through, he could see Ihai locked inside a cage, his teeth bared in displeasure. Aisa never locked him up and lately, she had been taking him with her on missions.

The bad feeling in his gut started clawing it's way up into his chest, then.

"Where is she?" Kakashi asked.

"Like the hell I know!? She locked me in here, claiming it was for the best. She only locks me up when she goes on one of her hunting jobs." Ihai replied.

"Hunting jobs?" Yamato asked as the others joined Kakashi.

"You heard me! Now go find her! Every time she comes back from one of those jobs, she's half dead!" Ihai barked.

Kakashi didn't stop to question it. There was only one person who could tell him where Aisa was. Raising to his feet, Kakashi gave his team a look that they knew all too well. Things had just gotten serious. Leading the way, Kakashi made his way to Tsunade's office. There, they spilled into Tsunade's office, making her and Shizune look up at them.

"Kakashi? What is the meaning of this?" Tsunade asked.

"Where's Aisa?"

Tsunade's surprised expression changed to one of seriousness and she shared a look with Shizune who had the same kind of look on her face.

"She's on a mission. She'll be back in a few days." Tsunade replied.

"Cut the crap, Grandma! We know she's on a hunting mission." Naruto snapped.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed, her brows furrowing together as she looked at Naruto. It was obviously something they weren't suppose to know. Why was it that everything involving Aisa, had to be a secret? It was enough to drive a person crazy.

"Where did you hear that?" Tsunade asked.

"It doesn't matter. Where is she?" Naruto demanded.

Tsunade heaved a sigh. She knew Naruto wouldn't let this go, he never let anything go, but this time it wasn't just him. Every member of Team Kakashi had the same look on their face as Naruto. They were all determined to find out the truth with Aisa. Tsunade wanted to respect Aisa's wishes, but even she knew that Aisa couldn't continue to keep everything wrapped up so tight. She would never form the relationships in her life that she so dearly needed if she was constantly keeping everything about herself, a secret.

Something had to give and she knew it wouldn't be Aisa.

"Kakashi," Kakashi raised his eyebrows as Tsunade turned her eyes to him. "you know that Aisa is a Hokage secret."

"Yes."

"I didn't tell you the full reason why. Aisa's one of the best shinobi hunters there is. It's why she's suppose to be a reserved secret of the Hokages. It doesn't matter the abilities or rank of the shinobi she's suppose to go after. Once she's assigned to hunt someone, they better kiss their lives goodbye because she never misses her mark." Tsunade explained.

"So that's what she's doing right now?" Sakura asked.

"Doesn't sound too bad. She's strong." Naruto remarked.

"It's more complicated than that. Most of the marks she's assigned...are Chiruras."

Silence reined as horrified realization fell over the five. The sudden appearance of Shitarou, Aisa's disappearance shortly after...had he come to the village to warn her about the approaching of a Chirura threat? That meant...Aisa was out there fighting a Chirura at that very moment!? It was no wonder that Ihai said she came home half dead every time.

"Where is she!?" Naruto demanded once more.

"Naruto-"

"I don't care about all these secrets! Just tell me where she is before she gets herself killed!" Naruto yelled, cutting off Tsunade.

"She's always completed the job and in one piece." Tsunade replied.

"But she comes back half dead, don't she!? This could be the time she doesn't come back!" Naruto snapped.

Tsunade threw a glance at Shizune who had a somewhat panicked, concern look on her face. Heaving a sigh, Tsunade turned her eyes back to Naruto before linking her hands before her, her elbows perched on the desk top.

"Naruto, think about this for a moment. What you find out about Aisa by following her now, might be something you would prefer not to know. It could change the way you see her, completely. Do you really want to take that chance?" Tsunade asked.

It could change how they saw Aisa? Completely? Aisa's secrets were that big? While it didn't sound good, Naruto wasn't about to back down. Aisa, no matter what, was one of them. Yes, she didn't like Naruto very much, and she didn't along a lot with him, but she was still a teammate, still a friend. He wasn't going to let her get herself killed by insisting to do things alone.

And Kakashi was in complete agreement with him. He didn't like the idea of Aisa going at this alone. She had been alone for so long, but now she was apart of their team and Kakashi would never leave his teammates behind. Never again. If this meant risking finding out something about Aisa that could possibly be earth shaking, then they would all take it.

The five shared a look, nodding in agreement about their choice of action. Kakashi turned back to look at Tsunade who was awaiting their answer.

"Where can we find her?"

-0-0-0-0-

After gathering their gear, Team Kakashi headed out from the village, heading northeast. Pakkun lead them, tracking Aisa's scent. According to the dog, Aisa had moved quickly, the scents of her wolves mixed in with hers. She was tracking her target, whoever they were, and she was moving fast while doing it. That information, alone, lead Kakashi to believe that this target was a dangerous one indeed.

Why else would Aisa rush to find someone?

Rushed to find her before something could happen, they moved as fast as they could, only stopping long enough for everyone to catch their breathes before they moved on. Aisa had a two day head start on them. By the time the sun began to set, the moon rising higher into the sky, they still hadn't reached the end of her trail. Forced to stop and give everyone a break, the group came to a stop in a clearing. The all agreed to give themselves an hour to rest and then they would move on. If they stayed still for too long, they might lose Aisa's trail.

They were pushing it, they knew. If they ended up having to fight when they finally found Aisa, they couldn't afford to be exhausted from the run. Kakashi took this into consideration, making the team slow their pace when the hour break was up. It wasn't something that Naruto really wanted to do, but they had to consider their physical state. They had to still be making good time for Pakkun insisted that Aisa's scent was getting stronger.

If that was true, then she was on the move because they never got any closer than that the whole night.

By the time they had to stop again, the sun was inching up over the horizon.

"Damn! How far could she had gone?" Naruto asked.

"With two days...far." Sakura replied.

"She's close now, I'm sure." Pakkun assured them. "But her wolves are no longer with her. Their scents vanished about five hundred yards back."

Kakashi wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. On one hand, that meant that Aisa was closing in on her target and that she would confront them soon, which was bad. On the other hand, that meant she would start slowing down, giving them a chance to catch up with her, which was good. He hoped they found her before she could really confront the enemy.

Moving on, they picked up their pace once more. They had not been on the move for more than an hour when Pakkun perked out.

"Heads up, she's found her target." Pakkun warned.

Wariness fell over all of them, all of them silently preparing for the fight ahead, Kakashi sending Pakkun away. They heard the sound of fighting before they saw anything. Landing in a clearing intersected by a forest road, they looked around. Kakashi could smell Aisa's scent in the air. Moving his headband up, he peered around him with this Sharingan eye. He could see the thin chakra lines all over the place that were constantly around Aisa.

She was nearby.

"Where is s-"

"Look out!"

Naruto was cut off as something darted free of the trees, crashing into him and carry him off to the side and behind a boulder. A moment later, two hands reached out, grabbing Yamato and Kakashi by the sleeve to yank them behind the boulder. Sakura and Sai quickly followed, ducking behind the large boulder without having to be yanked.

"You idiots! What do you think you're doing here!?"

Naruto raised his head, Kakashi and Yamato righting themselves to turn and face the person who had yanked on them. They were confronted with a bloody, beaten, and very livid Aisa crouched before them. Though she had questioned them, she was currently twisting and turning, as if searching the area, listening for approaching of enemies.

"Aisa! You're hurt!" Sakura said, moving closer to Aisa, a hand coming out to try to touch her.

Aisa pushed her hands away, her mouth twisting in a scowl. Sakura pulled her hands back to avoid having them swatted by Aisa.

"Stay put, Sakura. The five of you are all real idiots, following me out here. What did you think you were doing!? How did you even know where I was?" Aisa demanded.

Naruto had never heard her tone so sharp. None of them had. And she looked a mess too. Her clothes were torn, the skin beneath cut but not bloody. Her hair was stained with a mix of dirt and blood and she was currently missing one glove, showing a scar that raced over the back of her right wrist, as well as the pale, icy tips of her fingers.

"Lady Tsunade told us where you had gone." Sakura told her.

"Tch! I should have known. What is with the people in my life all suddenly deciding to meddle where they aren't wanted?" Aisa hissed to herself. "You can turn back around, right now, and leave. I don't need help here. I certainly don't need the five of you here."

"What's that suppose to mean!?" Naruto yelled, pushing himself up to raise to his feet.

"Get down, you fool!" Aisa snapped.

Kakashi grabbed Naruto's wrist, pulling him back down. When Naruto looked at him, Kakashi shook his head, giving him a pointed look. He then turned to Aisa, who was still twisting around.

"Fill us in on what's going on here, Aisa. The Hokage obviously thinks you need back up if she told us." Kakashi said, trying to reason with Aisa.

"You aren't a kind of back up I can make use of. Not here, not with this enemy. Your Sharingan wouldn't be of much use here. And I won't be responsible for your deaths." Aisa replied.

"Do you have that little faith in us?" Yamato asked.

"With this kind of enemy...I have little faith is everyone." Aisa told him, turning to lean around the boulder. "They will just devour any jutsu you throw at them."

"Devour? What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi and Yamato caught on to Aisa's meaning quickly, the two of them getting a bad feeling in their guts. They remembered the story Aisa had told them and Naruto in the training field over lunch one day. The story of the clan of devourers.

"They're members of the Chirura Clan." Kakashi said, the seriousness of the situation settling in on him.

Aisa didn't move didn't turn back towards them, but Kakashi could see the stiffening in her shoulders, her fingers curling into tight fists. That was answer enough.

"If you understand that, then take the others and leave. You can't do anything against shinobi who can literally eat your chakra. Sooner or later, they will catch you and they will suck you dry." Aisa replied.

"But what about you? If they can really do that...what about you!?" Sakura asked.

"Just leave."

"Aisa!"

"No, Naruto! For once in your life, don't push the subject and just leave!" Aisa snapped.

She rounded on him, her expression serious. Naruto opened his mouth to argue with her when a new voice suddenly entered the conversation, the sound of it making Aisa's back go stiff.

"Oh, little half-breed! Why don't you bring your friends out to play with us too!" came a male voice.

"Yes, do. I can practically smell their blood and chakra from here. One smells so juicy, my mouth is watering. Has to be a young, attractive man." came a second, this one female.

Aisa greet her teeth, her grip on the boulder tightening until the rock began to crumble under the intensity of her grip. She twisted back around to face them.

"Leave. Now." she said, her words clipped.

"But Aisa, what about you!?" Naruto asked.

"I told you, Naruto...only a Chirura can kill a Chirura."

Slowly, the realization of the meaning behind that, sunk in. One by one, their expressions changed until all five were staring at her in horror. Aisa...Aisa was... _ **a Chirura!?**_

"I told you I was a monster. Now that you get it, leave. I have enough blood on my hands without adding all of your's to it." Aisa told them before she rose and snaked around the boulder, her long hair trailing behind her.

Stunned silence fell over them until Naruto shook himself. Aisa was a Chirura...so what! She had accepted Naruto, somewhat, without ever once giving thought to what was sealed in him. He wouldn't hold against her the blood that ran through her veins. Turning, Naruto turned to Kakashi was staring at the spot where Aisa had crouched, the look in his eyes, thoughtful and serious.

"Kakashi-sensei? What do we do?" Naruto demanded. "We have to he-"

"We're leaving."

All four of Kakashi's teammates, turned to stare at him when he announced that in a firm voice. His expression suggested that he wasn't kidding. Naruto tried to argue but Kakashi just gave him a sharp look, that shut him up quickly.

"We're leaving, Naruto." Kakashi told him, turning and leading the way into the trees.

Beyond the boulder, Aisa stood in the pathway to the boulder, her back to where her team had been hiding. Through her jutsu, she could sense their departure.

"I knew it." she muttered lowly to herself.

Part of her was glad they had left. She wouldn't have to worry about them getting hurt, or worse, at the hands of her three targets. The other part was disappointed and, if she was being completely honest...a little hurt. She knew they wouldn't stick around if they knew the truth about her.

Who wanted to be around a monster born of the bloody gene pool of the Chirura clan?

Even Aisa hated herself for that stain.

She had loved her parents, but the burden that came with having Chirura blood in her veins, had become one that was slowly weighting her down and breaking her apart. But she could no more change the blood in her veins than she could change the sun rising in east and setting in the west.

But she didn't have the time to focus on that.

Aisa's head rose slightly as three people stepped onto the path twenty yards in front of her. She couldn't physically see them, but her jutsu weaved a clear enough picture of them for her. It was two males, one female, each baring a feral, crazed smile on their face, sharpened incisors bared like tiny knives. They all had cuts on them, though not a single one was bleeding. The man standing in the center, was a large, beefy man and Aisa could smell the blood that was dripping from his finger tips from where he had tried to rip into her stomach during one of their earlier clashes.

His two companions, as Aisa had heard, were twins and far smaller than their leader, the woman even smaller than her twin. Even then, the woman was still taller and more ripped than Aisa was. Not that Aisa envied her that. She liked how small she was.

Even without being able to see the color, Aisa knew that all three had hair and eyes as red as freshly spilled blood.

"Aw, did your little friends decide to leave you?" the woman, Kanega, mocked, her brother, Naraku, laughing like a loon.

"That's none of your business." Aisa retorted.

"I bet our little half breed here didn't tell them she had Chirura blood in her and now they hate her." Naraku added, making his two companions howl in laughter.

Aisa really didn't appreciate their sense of humor. A perk of being full blooded Chirura was that all the inbreeding and twisted philosophy made the person crazy and with the craziness, came a sense of indifference. They didn't have a care in the world on what others thought of them. To them, Aisa caring what others thought of her, was a ridiculous, naive notion worth being mocked and laughed at.

She didn't share their sense of humor.

"I don't share your sense of humor." Aisa said sourly.

"That's your problem, girl." This came from the middle man, Zumaragi. "Though, I can't blame you. It must really suck to be a monstrous mistake that even monsters don't want. A creature like you ain't got anywhere to go, huh? There ain't a single thing for you to live for, is there?"

Aisa really wasn't fond of mocking. Honestly, she didn't see any point in mocking an opponent like that. It never helped anyone. It seemed it was something else that the people of her clan did well. Useless mocking that made them look like total dicks.

"You're wrong."

Zumaragi stopped his laughter, raising an eyebrow as he stared at Aisa. He straightened his back, one bloody red eyebrow rocking up in questioning.

"Oh? Are you say you aren't a blemish?" he asked.

"Not exactly. I know who and what I am and, honestly, I'm exactly who and what people say I am. It's not like I can help that I was born this way. That's not what I was disagreeing with. I simply meant to correct you on your last statement. In fact, I have many things to fill my day. I'm not so simple minded as you that I can't enjoy a good book or something along those lines." Aisa replied.

Okay, so she could mock others too.

All was fair in love and war.

"Are you making fun of us?" Naraku demanded.

"It's not so funny when the shoe's on the other foot, is it? A monster I might be, but I still have a sense of humor." Aisa retorted.

"You little...!"

"The three of you have me all wrong." Aisa said, cutting off Kanega. "I don't particularly care what you have to say. In fact, I'm sick of listening to you people spout off your philosophy, claiming yourselves to be better than those like me. I might be lower than trash, but the other half breeds aren't. I think I've heard just about enough of your hypocritical claims. Think, and say, what you want, though I have a good idea on what it is."

"Oh, and what is that?" Zumaragi asked, amused.

"You think I'm nothing because I'm nothing like you. That I'm lower than low because my blood isn't as twisted as your's. You think you have me all figured out, that you know me, but you don't know anything about what I've been through or what makes me this way. You're simple minded, just like the rest of them have been and will fall for the same tricks they did. It's that simp-"

Aisa cut off as a whip made from Zumaragi's very blood, whipped out, lashing her across the left cheek and sending her head whipping to the right. She stood there for a moment as the blood that trickled from the wound began to weave the cut close like a set of stitches. Aisa's bare hand came up to touch her cheek, finger tips running over the blood stitches.

"You talk awful mighty for a piece of trash." Zumaragi snapped. "You are nothing more than a freakish mistake. A disgusting creature that even monsters don't want! You're own so-called comrades ran away from you! How dare you speak to me that way. I was Master Maruko's lead guard! You are just an urchin scraped from the bottom of the barrel!"

"And?"

Zumaragi stared at Aisa as she ran her fingers over the stitches once more before dropping her hand. She seemed to be calm, relaxed, not riled in the least. In fact, the only ones that seemed to be getting riled up, was the three of them.

"I would rather be an outcast than just bow down and obey a tyrant like Maruko was. I will always choose to be a freak over being a fake. Even if that means others will always shun me, because, when it's all said and done, there will be only one name on my grave and that's the only name I have to worry about. This world will never be what I wish it to be, so why should it matter if I fit into it's ideal of normal? Besides...look what following Maruko got the whole of the Chirura clan. His own grandchild killed him and now there are more half breeds left than there are pure breeds."

An angry, crazed gleam entered the threes' eyes. Aisa didn't need to see to know she had just seriously angered them. In a way, it was a good thing. Most Chiruras, these three being among those, had really bad temper issues and when they got angry, they got really stupid.

And as Aisa's mother use to tell her...there was no cure for stupidity.

Asia braced herself, preparing for the attack she knew was coming her way. Once their tempers were lost, they would throw themselves into a fight. It had been that way with every pure blooded Chirura she had ever faced.

With a roar like that of a crazed animal, Zumaragi launched his big body towards her. This was going to hurt, but she wasn't about to back down.

Fifteen yards, ten, five...he was right on her and she could feel his rancid breath on her face, when something came charging in from the side of her senses, smashing into Zumaragi and sending the large man flying away from her.

Aisa whipped around, facing the taller form that now towered beside her, standing close enough for her to smell the scent she had been slowly becoming familiar with.

"Hatake-san!?"

Kakashi stood beside Aisa, so close it was almost as if he was trying to defend her. It was a closeness that Aisa wasn't sure she was comfortable with. She went to step back away from him, for more than one reason, but Kakashi grabbed her elbow, forcing her to stay at his side.

"What are you doing?" Aisa asked.

"Have you forgotten that you are my teammate?" he asked.

"I really don't thi-"

"Have you or not?" Kakashi demanded, cutting her off.

"...No."

"Good. Then remember this...I don't leave my teammates behind. No matter who they are."

Aisa was surprised by the genuine softness in his tone as he spoke to her lowly, his grip on her elbow softening as well. She had expected disgust, or, at least, wariness. Not this. His next words were words she had wanted to hear since her family had died and it made her throat feel tight.

"Chirura or not, I don't care. I'm not leaving you, Aisa."

It was cheesy to admit...but her ice covered heart gave a flutter.

END

Kyandi: Screw a melting heart, I would have just melted.

Aisa: You have no composure then.

Kyandi: Not around hot guys like Kakashi, I don't. Come on, you can't say that didn't make you feel a little weak kneed.

Aisa: Not really.

Kyandi: I call bull.

Aisa: Whatever...

Kyandi: You're not denying it.

Aisa: ...Move on already.

Kyandi: Oh, fine. Everyone enjoy and review.

Aisa: We'll return as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	13. My Responsibility

Kyandi: And I have returned.

Aisa: She was sick all weekend or we would of had this chapter up sooner.

Kyandi: Right. That being said, I have a lot of muse for this at the moment.

Aisa: She's been talking a lot to her sister about plot and everything else.

Kyandi: She's a good sounding board. I like some of her ideas.

Aisa: I am not blowing up Sasuke.

Kyandi: Okay, so not all of her ideas are gems.

Aisa: Not am I going to run around a battle field, laughing like a loon, and blowing up other people.

Kyandi: ...she talks about blowing up characters a lot, doesn't she.

Aisa: Yes.

Kyandi: Okay, well...we'll discuss that more later. For now, everyone enjoy and review.

Aisa: I am not blowing anyone up, Kyandi-sama.

Kyandi: Just say your line.

Aisa: ...Kyandi-sama does not own Naruto.

Chapter 13 My Responsibility

Kakashi stared down at Aisa, her face so close that he could see every tiny stitch of blood in the cut on her cheek. He watched as she opened her mouth and closed it a few times, unable to find the words to respond to him. He never thought he would see the day when he would leave Aisa speechless. Any other time, he would have enjoyed that.

For now, they had other things to deal with.

"Oh! I see you brought us a snack!"

Kakashi and Aisa turned towards Kanega and Naraku as the woman cheered, licking her lips like she had just found the world's tastiest meal. Zumaragi was rejoining his companions, casting Kakashi a highly displeased look. Kanega, though, was all eyes for Kakashi.

"And he's absolutely yummy looking as well as smelling. I'll bet his blood and chakra are just as good. A prized stud meant to be enjoyed over time instead of drained all at once." Kanega said.

Aisa stepped in front of Kakashi, her metaphorical hackles raising. A growl even sounded from deep in her throat as she bared her teeth in a snap at the woman. Kanega's eyes widened and she snickered, fangs flashing as she drummed fingernails, painted as bloody red as her hair, against her chin.

"My, my, someone's getting protective. Have you fallen in love, you foolish, little girl?" Kanega asked.

Aisa tensed farther, her body stiffening to the point that Kakashi had to wonder if her muscles might tear. He glanced at her and could just make out the slight shake in Aisa's limbs. He didn't know what it was from though. It could be from fear, anger, or even exhaustion. Seeing how injured she was and how long she had been out there, he was willing to bet on the latter.

Aisa suddenly snapped straight, her muscles snapping taunt, just as Kanega perked up, half turning as a grin curled her lips. Aisa shot forward, her sudden burst of speed surprising the three giving Aisa the opening to land a kick on Kanega, twisting to snatch Naruto up just as he shot free of the underbrush. It was fortunate that she had, for, at the same time, Zumaragi attacked, his blood moving to coat his hand in a spear head form that hardened to that of steel.

Aisa shielded Naruto, taking the hit in the side even as she retreated backwards. Only her backwards motion kept the injury from being fatal. She continued moving backwards, taking Naruto with her, until she slide to a halt beside Kakashi. She instantly shoved Naruto behind her.

"What are you doi-"

"They can smell your blood and chakra. They knew you were coming." Aisa snapped, cutting Naruto off. "Hatake-san, please, take them and leave."

Kakashi turned his eyes to her back. She was completely convinced that they couldn't help her. It was almost like she had no trust in them. Yamato, Sai, and Sakura were spread out, surrounding Zumaragi and his two companions, but from the shifting of red eyes, the three Chiruras knew they were there. This wasn't an ideal situation. The enemy had an advantage in that they could smell them and in that their very blood was a weapon. The more Kakashi and his team injured them, the more access to that weapon they gave the three.

"Aisa! Aren't we comrades!?" Naruto demanded. "You're suppose to trust us! You know what we can do. Let us help you! Trust us!"

"I can't! Not in this. I know what you are capable of, Naruto, all of you, but I also know what they're capable of and you're all at a serious disadvantage. Tsuna-nee brought me to the village to protect you, not get you and some of the village's best shinobi, killed." Aisa replied. "Only a monster can fight a monster."

Naruto fell silent. Aisa was yet another person that was willing to allow harm to herself in order to protect him. Though her reason behind it was a little different than most.

Aisa suddenly heaving a sigh, made Naruto and Kakashi look at her.

"I hate the thought of using this here and now, but I don't have a choice if you insist on staying put, you stubborn fools." she remarked lowly, more to herself, as she pulled a needled filled with a dark liquid, out of the pouch on the back of her belt.

Aisa flipped the cap off the needle, turned it needle end down with a twist of her fingers, and plunged the needle into her thigh without a second of hesitation. She emptied the liquid into her body and yanked the needle free, tossing it aside. There were no physical changes so Kakashi assumed it was to boost her energy, like the food pellets. Zumaragi and his companions grinned as Aisa then formed a hand sign Kakashi had seen one of the other three form.

"Going to fight us on equal footing, half-breed? That these people like you enough to want to fight with you, tells me that you haven't told them the whole truth. You'll damn yourself in their eyes by confirming what you are." Zumaragi taunted.

"I'm already damned, so it's a risk I'm willing to take if it protects them." Aisa replied.

Her hands flew, faster than normal, forming hands signs. The creepy feeling Kakashi sometimes got from Aisa, increased in that moment.

"Secret jutsu...Chimamire no Kami jutsu!"

The blood coating Aisa's wounds came to life, moving around in rivers of red. From where he stood, Kakashi watched as the single strand of red in her hair, seemed to thicken, spreading to other parts of her hair until her hair was molted mix of half white and half red. Though they had figured it out, for Team Kakashi to actually see the blood react to her command, was shocking. Aisa really was part Chirura.

"I need the five of you to remain in your exact spots if you can. I have to redirect my Blind Eye Jutsu. It'll be harder for me to track you and I don't want to attack you by mistake." Aisa said, speaking to Kakashi and the rest of their team.

"Bring it on, half-breed!" Zumaragi growled.

The shot Aisa had given herself had to be a shot of adrenaline or energy booster because Aisa moved faster than she should of had the energy left for. She appeared behind Zumaragi, between this two companions, her hands flying in hand signs. When the two turned to her, shock on their faces, she raised her hands to their faces, two fingers extended on both hands.

A sharp burst of blood shot from the tips of those fingers, slamming into the two and hitting with enough force to knock them both back off their feet. Zumaragi whipped around, a bloody whip cracking out, but Aisa sprang into the air over his head. She pulled a hand back, blood forming a hard shell over her hand. Zumaragi raised his arms in a defensive block over his head, catching Aisa's punch. Aisa grit her teeth, frustrated even as she heard the crack in one of his bones. Zumaragi seized her by the wrist then. Aisa had the feeling of dizziness as he spun her, releasing her to send her crashing into a tree trunk. A puff of smoke swapped Aisa for a log that broke in two when it hit the tree.

Aisa hit Zumaragi from the side, aiming a shuriken for his heart. Zumaragi drew the short sword from his belt slicing Aisa in two. Much like a water clone, the clone dissolved into blood, splashing to the ground. Zumaragi's companions worked their way free of the trees then. Half of the woman's face was a bloody mess while Aisa had caught the man in the right shoulder due to height difference. Neither were happy.

"Kakashi-sensei, are we really going to just sit here?"

Naruto's question drew Kakashi's attention to him. Yamato, Sakura, and Sai were awaiting Kakashi's signal. They were there, they were in much better shape, there was more of them. They couldn't just leave Aisa to fight this battle alone. But they also couldn't charge in. Aisa was fighting up close with the three. They could accidentally hurt her. Not to mention that the three would know they were coming, just like Aisa did.

"Change in plan, Naruto. I need you to make three clones." Kakashi told him.

Naruto grinned, happily complying with the order. He knew where this was going.

Aisa, on the other hand, wasn't so happy. Her body ached all over, she was running low on both chakra and blood. She could already feel the familiar coldness that usually remained in her hands, spreading to the rest of her body. At this rate, she would be done for, bleeding herself dry before she could properly finish her job. Fighting just one of her clan was hard enough. To have to fight three of them at one time, especially when they had semi-good team work...her luck was running lower than her blood count.

Aisa ducked, avoiding the rain of needle sharp blood pins. She couldn't let a single one of those pins pierce her. If the man's blood type wasn't her own, and one of those pins got into her blood stream and dissolved, it would poison her blood. Slowly, but surely. Sakura was there, but Aisa doubted she had the blood or equipment to do a blood transfusion. Suddenly, Zumaragi was in front of her. The big man seized her by the throat, swinging her around and slamming her into the ground.

This was the opening she had been looking for. She raised a hand, focusing her chakra to spear him through with a spike of her own blood, when she felt the movement on the edges of her senses that was her squad mates on the move. She mentally cursed, but wanted to smile when Zumaragi was taken by surprise and slammed in the side with one of Yamato's wood jutsu, knocking the man off of her. Aisa sat up, coughing as she drug a deep breath in through her abused throat.

Kakashi and Sakura were at her side as quickly as they could move. Before Aisa could open her mouth to protest, Kakashi scooped her up into his arms, holding her tightly to his chest as he carried her away from the battle's front lines, per say, Sakura hot on his heels.

"Hatake-san, put me down." Aisa demanded, shoving at his chest as her voice croaked.

"Not this time." he replied.

"What was that?"

Aisa didn't sound pleased with his denial of her request, but Kakashi didn't sit her down. She would have been right back in the fight if he had done as she wanted him to.

"Naruto, Captain Yamato, and Sai will handle them for right now. I need to heal you." Sakura piped in.

"I don't need to be healed. I need to finish this before Zumaragi and his goons kill more innocents. He's already killed a family of six this morning. They had four child under the age of ten. _**Four!**_ Now put me down!" Aisa demanded.

While he could see why she was so dead set on ending this fight, Kakashi didn't let go of her. If anything, his grip on her tightened. Aisa was so determined, so willful, just to defend others from someone who killed for no other reason than he liked the sight of split blood. She would get herself killed at this rate and she still wanted to insist that she was a monster without a heart.

Kakashi called bull on the whole thing.

When he deemed them at a safe range, Kakashi came to a stop, crouching down to sit her down on the ground. Sakura was instantly there, checking on Aisa's throat. Sakura froze as she pulled down the high neck of Aisa's mesh undershirt to peer at the thin line of her throat. There was no bruising when, given how tightly Zumaragi had been gripping her neck, there should have been. Checking the rest of Aisa, Sakura found not a single bruise despite the beating Aisa had obviously taken.

"See, I'm fine. Not a single bruise on me." Aisa said, as if reading Sakura's mind through the hesitation in her finger tips.

Sakura glanced at Kakashi over Aisa's head. No bruising when there should be, Aisa's jutsu which used her blood...Sakura laid her hands on Aisa's bare skin, finding it cold to the touch. It was no longer just her fingers, which now made sense. It was her nearly her whole body. This could only mean one thing.

Bruising was the result of blood vessels beneath the skin, bursting under impact. If there was no bruising, that meant there wasn't enough blood running through those veins. Sakura had a feeling she knew the draw back for Aisa's jutsu.

Aisa's head flew up then, her hands instantly shooting up into the air. A shield of blood formed overhead, just as Zumaragi's two companions burst through the trees above them. They hit the shield and cursed, Naraku punching the shield as Aisa's hands moved through her hand signs quickly, if not shakily.

The shield rippled before exploding outward, sending the two flying with a small pop noise. The shield was dispersed, the blood used raining to the ground in a mist, now useless. Sakura's eyes widened and she rounded on Aisa.

"You need to stop using your jutsu!" Sakura snapped.

"I've said it before. The only way to beat a Chirura, is with a Chirura. Don't worry about those two. They won't be fighting much longer." Aisa said, going to push herself up.

"Neither will you if you keep this up!" Sakura cried.

Aisa clicked her tongue, but otherwise ignored her as she started to rise. Kakashi grabbed Aisa's wrist, pulling her to a stop.

"You need to let Sakura heal you. You're burning yourself out like this." Kakashi told her.

Not far from them, there was an explosion as Zumaragi attacked Yamato with exploding balls of blood, cackling every time Yamato had to jump to the side to avoid one. The wooden barrier he constructed was the only thing that saved Yamato from a couple. Aisa's head whipped around and she frowned. Kakashi could basically see the gears in her head working, over time, to figure something out. Then she turned back to Kakashi, her lips in a thinner line than normal.

"Fine. All of you want to help, then I'll let you... _ **this time**_." Aisa said, Sakura heaving a relieved sigh. "But you have to follow my orders. I know how they fight best."

"Let Sakura heal you first." Kakashi said, agreeing to her condition.

Aisa dropped completely to the ground. When it was clear she wasn't going to move from the spot, Kakashi released her wrist and nodded to Sakura. Sakura moved to Aisa's side, instantly working her medical ninjutsu on Aisa's various injuries. Aisa sat through it, though her head would tilt, now and then, towards the fight. Between Yamato, Sai, and Naruto, they were handling the situation. Or, at least, they were managing to distract the three Chirura while managing to keep from being grabbed by one of the three redheads. Zumaragi's companions weren't as strong as him, were easier to handle, but Zumaragi was giving them hell.

"There." Sakura said, backing up.

Aisa had to admit...she did feel better. She wasn't as dizzy as she had been before and some heat was slowly returning to her body. She gave Sakura a nod of thanks before digging a her pouch for one of the specialized food pellets she took when she was running on fumes. She popped that in her mouth, chewing it up and swallowing. It wasn't the tastiest thing in the world, tasting much like a spanich leaf, and she would really rather have a steaming bowl of Ichigaku's ramen, but it would fulfill it's purpose of increasing iron and blood production. That done, she turned to her two teammates.

"Alright, listen closely. I know how to defeat one of my own, but I need to go head to head with them. Zumaragi's two companions are weaker, less of a problem. Not to mention that the process was already started with them. If you can hold them off while I handle Zumaragi, then we will be able to make it out of this alive. I just need one solid hit on him and I'll win. Do you think you can manage a distraction for the twins?" Aisa asked.

"Yes." Kakashi assured her.

"Good, but I need you to keep your distance from them. Only long rang attacks. The Chirura are called devours for a reason and anything less than long range, won't work. They're sly. They will drain you of your blood and chakra if you get too close." Aisa warned. "In your case, Hatake-san, I feel like Kanega really will chain you up and use you over an extended period. Avoid her."

Kakashi's eyes turned towards the fight in the distance as Zumaragi, highly annoyed with Aisa's teammate, grabbed one of Naruto's clones by the throat. With a crazed grin, the large man squeezed until the point when a clone should have vanished. Instead of vanishing in a puff of smoke, a blue glow appeared around the clone, showing the chakra that made up the jutsu. Zumaragi opened his mouth, sucking in the chakra until there was none left to the clone and it vanished.

Just thinking of Kanega doing that to him over an extended period of time, had Kakashi frowning.

It wasn't a pleasant thought.

"They'll suck you chakra out, use your blood to spare their own. I'm running low on both. I might only be able to manage one hit, but it'll have to do." Aisa said.

Kakashi glanced towards her. Her skin was starting to lose it's coloring and his Sharingan wasn't picking up the usual level of chakra from her that it usually did. Not even half of that remained. Though Sakura's healing had helped, Aisa would need more than just the most basic of care. She needed blood and rest. And chakra, too.

That lead Kakashi to one thought: If the others of the Chirura clan could steal another's chakra...could Aisa? If so, then why hadn't she taken any from those three?

"Sakura, tell Yamato and Sai to focus on the other two. We'll use Naruto's clones to distract Zumaragi." Kakashi ordered.

Sakura nodded and took off. Aisa moved to stand, but Kakashi stopped her. She turned towards him, her eyebrows furrowing together in a questioning expression.

"You can eat the chakra of others, too, can't you?" he asked.

Aisa's lips twisted into a scowl, her body tensing. She was uncomfortable with the topic of conversation, he could tell.

"I can, but I don't like to. I'm not a beast like they are. I might be a monster, but I'm not _**that**_ kind of monster." she replied.

He could see her point in this. It was a matter of morals. She didn't want to be like her clan mates. She didn't want to be the bloody, cannibal monster that the world claimed all Chiruras were. He could understand, but if she needed the chakra and had no other choice in a life or death situation, he didn't understand why she wouldn't. It could be what decided if they won this or not.

"You need more chakra. You won't survive the fight much longer without it." he told her.

"I'm aware. I have enough for one more hit." Aisa replied.

"And after that? What if that one hit isn't enough?"

Aisa's teeth gritted together, her fists curling into fist, she turned her face towards him, her curtain of currently molted white-and-red hair, falling over her shoulder.

"What do you suggest I do then? I refuse to be like them, Hatake-san." she told him.

"Then take some of mine. As a willing gift."

Aisa was so shocked, she jolted back way from him, scrambling back on all fours until she had put at least three yards between them. She would have continued farther if he hadn't grabbed a hold of her ankle, halting her progress. He moved closer to her, moving his grip to her wrist instead.

It was obvious that she didn't like the idea one bit, for she tried to pry his hand off her wrist. He only tightened his grip. He wouldn't have offered such a thing if he wasn't sure it was necessary.

"Aisa, listen to me." he insisted.

"Do you have any idea what you're saying!? You're asking me, a Chirura monster, to take your chakra from you!" Aisa hissed.

Kakashi tightened his grip on her wrist, once more. None of them saw her as a monster, even knowing she was part Chirura, and he didn't like that that was how she saw herself. He dragged her closer to him, though she didn't go willingly. He pulled until he had her right in front of him, his free hand taking hold of her shoulder.

"You aren't a monster, Aisa. I trust that you won't take more than is absolutely necessary. You're on your last leg and need the boost. I'm only telling you to take enough so you won't kill over on us." he told her.

"Why...why would you trust me, knowing what you know?" Aisa demanded.

"Because you're my teammate. I know you aren't the stone cold person you try to make yourself out to be. Besides, you, yourself, have said it before...not everything is as it seems. You aren't a monster and I trust you, so let me do this for you." he insisted.

Aisa's mouth worked, like she wanted to argue with him, but she couldn't. She saw the logic in his argument and couldn't come up with a protest against him. And, if the truth was to be told...she felt touched by his words, more than she probably should have. Finally her teeth gnashed together before she finally nodded.

"Just remember, you offered. And don't hate me for how I have to take it. It's the easiest way I know how to do this." she told him.

She leaned in towards him, then, her lips parting. It was then that he caught the flash of incisors sharper than the average tooth. He had a moment of wondering if she was going to bite him before Aisa reached up, her hands cupping his face and dragging it down. He let her pull him forward, but was shocked when her lips found his through his mask. He could feel the flow of his chakra leaving him through the contact of their mouths. Her lips parted further, his mimicking them out of instinct.

She lingered only for a short moment, before she broke the sort-of kiss and pulled back from him, raising to her feet. He let her go, raising to his own as she backed up a step, her hand to mouth as she bit down on her lower lip.

"That's not good." she remarked lowly.

"What?" he asked, still a little surprised that she had kissed him to take the chakra.

"Each person's chakra taste differently to us. Some are alright, bearable, some are just down right foul, and other are so bad, they make us physically ill. Mostly it's the chakra of a fellow clansman that makes us sick, which is why I can't take any from them. It's rare to find a person whose chakra makes our mouths water because they're so good." Aisa told him.

"Is mine making you sick?" Kakashi asked, fearing, for a moment, that she might throw up.

Aisa shook her head, and, inwardly, Kakashi was thankful for that. Though he knew it wasn't an actual kiss and that she had to do that to take the chakra, he wasn't sure his pride could take it if she had thrown up after kissing him, no matter the reason behind it.

"Then what is it?" he asked.

"Your's...is delicious. You taste like caramel."

Meaning she wanted more of his chakra, but wouldn't let herself have it. He knew how she was with her little caramel treats. She devoured those by the box full. He wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that Aisa found him delicious. Though, at least, he knew his chakra was compatible with her. It would be good for future reference. Just in case a situation like this popped up again. He was sure that if the Atatsuki kept coming after Naruto, that there would be a time when Aisa would be low on chakra and have to draw some from someone else. He preferred it be from him so they knew she wouldn't end up sick.

"It doesn't matter though. I don't plan to have to take anymore from you, or anyone else." Aisa said, thanking him for the chakra before turning way, still biting her lip.

If he wasn't mistaken there was a slight blush to her cheeks.

Probably would have been more of one if she had more blood to spare.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Yes."

Kakashi and Aisa rejoined the fight.

With the extra boost of chakra, Aisa sped back up, avoiding a flying blood shuriken from one of Zumaragi's companions. Sai and Yamato regained his attention, letting Aisa slip past to Zumaragi. Naruto was throwing clone after clone at the large man. Aisa darted between them and...straight into Zumaragi's grip. Kakashi jerked around to face her as Aisa willingly let the large man drag her off her feet by the throat...again. He snarled in Aisa's face, pulling her closer.

"A little conceited there, aren't we, half breed?" Zumaragi asked.

"Not one bit. Though I figured you were stupid enough to grap me twice." Aisa remarked, a smirk curling her lips.

Zumaragi's eyes widened when a blade of blood pierced his chest. Aisa had missed all vital organs but she didn't need to hit one to accomplish the goal she had in mind. Zumaragi growled before, with all his strength, he threw her away from him. Kakashi was there to catch her, sliding back a few feet as her full weight hit his chest and settled into his arms.

"Are you alright?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah."

Kakashi set her on her feet. The others joined them, forming ranks around them. Aisa had gotten in the hit she had been looking for so they had all retreated from their fights.

"You really thought that would do me in? You missed all my vital organs!" Zumaragi laughed.

"I didn't need to hit them. I just needed to break skin."

Zumaragi's laugh cut off, his looking turning to one of confusion. He opened his mouth to say something when Kanega suddenly gagged, curling in on herself and clawing at her throat as she fought to draw in a breath. She staggered, gasping, but never actually getting a breath into their lungs. She crumpled to the ground as her brother started choking on seemingly nothing, as well. Neither could draw in a single breathe, their faces turning purple as their veins began to darken to black all over their bodies.

Zumaragi stared at his companions in horror, as they both fell to the ground, their eyes bulging in their sockets. Twitching, they both slowly fell still, their eyes staring at nothing. Zumaragi rounded on Aisa then.

"What did you do!?" he roared.

"The same trick I use every time one of you think you can come after the village, my fellow half breeds, or myself. You, as a Chirura, use your blood as weapons. I am no different." Aisa replied.

"Blood type poisoning?" Zumaragi asked, assuming she had poisoned them because her blood type was different.

"No. Blood type poisoning would not cause that." Aisa said, flicking a hand towards Kanega and Naraku. "Think again."

Zumaragi thought about it, his eyes going back to this companions. Kakashi figured it out long before Zumaragi did, turning wide eyes on Aisa. When it finally hit Zumaragi what she had done, they could see it dawn on him, his eyes widening as he turned them on Aisa.

"That shot! You injected yourself with a poison!" he yelled.

"Exactly."

All eyes turned to Aisa. Sakura completely turned to look at her. She couldn't believe Aisa would endanger her life like that. Kakashi, remembering Omu's words to him about Aisa giving her life if she thought it worth the sacrifice, could believe it.

"After that shot, with the poison in my very blood, I didn't have to land a fatal hit. I just had to get my blood inside your's. And there is no cure, so don't bother with trying to threaten one out of me. I, myself, have built up an immunity to it. I'll be sick as a dog for a while, but I'll live. You, on the other hand, won't." Aisa told Zumaragi.

Aisa was clever.

No wonder it took a member of the clan to defeat another member. She knew their every weakness, had built up a battle plan against them. Zumaragi had underestimated her and it would cost him his life. He knew that and seemed to disagree that Aisa's plan was brilliant. He roared his anger, eyes blazing with a crazed need to kill.

His target...Aisa.

"Then I'll take you with me, half breed! You'll burn in hell with us!" he yelled at her, forming a hand sign Kakashi had never seen before. "Secret jutsu...Beast of the Bloody God!"

Blood spilled out of Zumaragi's body, covering him from head to toe, forming horns that curled out from his temples. A long, bushy tail sprouted from his tail bone and bloody claws grew from his fingers. His eyes, whites and all, turned red and his already fang-like incisors, grew.

"I'll rip out that pretty little throat of your's!" he roared, his voice sounding like nails on a chalk board.

He rushed Aisa, but the girl didn't move, or even tense up. She remained relax, even when her teammates tensed up. Zumaragi drew back one hand, ready to deliver on his promise, but, little over a yard from Aisa, he convulsed, his eyes popping open wide as his throat began to close on him. He let out a yell of outrage and fear, dropping to the ground as he gagged.

"If you hadn't moved so much, hadn't tried to use another jutsu, you would have lived another fifteen, maybe twenty, minutes. You rushed right into your death. Yet another thing about pure bloods that I was so glad I didn't gain...you're stupid." Aisa told him.

Zumaragi glared up at her, one hand reaching for her booted foot as the bloody claws dissolved.

"Damned...half breed...go to...hell..." he managed past his closing throat.

"Already been there. This time, you can go on ahead. I'm sure I'll catch up with you sooner or later." she told him.

With that, Zumaragi, just like the twins before him, died. For a moment, Aisa just stood there, silent. Finally, she released a breath she had been holding. The red in her hair started fading until it was no more than the thin strip of red lost in a sea of white, as it had originally been.

"Aisa?" Yamato asked.

Aisa swayed on her feet and finally collapsed. Kakashi caught her, keeping her from hitting the ground. She was already unconscious, falling limply in his arms. Kakashi knew it was best to get her back to the village and to Tsunade, for treatment. He ordered Yamato and Sai to dispose of the bodies. While they did that, Naruto helped Kakashi to drape Aisa over his back. Sakura checked her vitals, her expression concerned.

They would have to rush their way back to the village. As soon as all signs of the three Chiruras were gone, they moved out, moving as fast as they could. While he was concerned for Aisa, there was a more pressing thought in his mind.

He and Aisa were going to have a long conversation when she was better.

-0-0-0-0-

"How is she?"

Tsunade looked up as the curtain around the hospital bed was pulled back, revealing Kakashi and Yamato. Sakura, Naruto, and Sai stood at the door, peering into the room. Just beyond Tsunade, Aisa was tucked into a bed. Her color was back, but it was high in her face, her breathing in pants. Tsunade had a clipboard in her hand and had been checking on Aisa before the interruption.

"She's been better." Tsunade replied, heaving a sigh. "When you brought her in, she had lost a lot of blood. Add on to that her low chakra levels, her injuries, and the poison in her system, and it's no surprised that she now has a high fever. Getting her stomach to keep anything down, is nearly impossible. It would take a lot of time for me to break down what she put into that poison. Her body would probably pass it long before I could."

"She'll be alright, though, right?" Yamato asked.

"Give her a few days and she'll be up again. Even if I don't want her to be. If nothing else, Aisa is stubborn and resilient. It'll take more than this to kill her." Tsunade replied, smiling as she looked down at her cousin. For a moment, that was all Tsunade did, but then she turned eyeing Kakashi and Yamato. "So, you know now."

Kakashi and Yamato shared a look and nodded to Tsunade. Tsuande's free hand went to her hip as she peered past them to where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai were waiting at the door.

"They know too." Yamato confirmed.

"And?" Tsunade asked

"It doesn't change anything."

Tsunade looked at Kakashi as he spoke firmly, confidently. She knew that Aisa feared others finding out about her origins, that Aisa was uncomfortable with people knowing the truth about her. Even if it was only one of the truths about her that Aisa kept hidden.

"Are you sure? Aisa, unfortunately, has plenty of reasons for her fear of others finding out. As a half breed, she is not accepted by the clan, or by anyone else." Tsunade said.

"Aisa isn't a monster, no matter what she says. She's not like the three we fought. We know this. Finding out that she had Chirura blood in her isn't going to change what we already know about her." Kakashi insisted.

He hadn't cared when he had found out that Naruto, who had the nine tail fox, was going to be his student, he hadn't cared when he had seen the baggage that came with Sasuke, and he didn't care that Aisa came with her share of troubles and skeletons in the closet. Whatever Aisa wanted to think, he **knew** her.

No, he didn't know her past, or what she had done. At least, not all of it. He didn't know every secret she was keeping, but he knew her. He knew that, despite how she talked and how hard she tried to push them away, she was only concerned with their well being. She claimed she was cold, and only cared about herself, but the truth was, she was scared to trust others. Probably for a good reason. He had a feeling that, deep down under the cold, hard shinobi she had made herself into, Aisa had a kind heart that thought only of the well being of others.

Why else would she leave without telling them to fight a threat to a village that she claimed she had no loyalty to? Kakashi knew it wasn't just because of Tsunade and the job she had given to Aisa. Aisa might have others fooled, but he had seen just how honest and open she could be when it was just the two of them.

So, no, he didn't care that she was part Chirura. She wasn't a monster and he refused to believe she would ever do anything to hurt any of them or the village.

Kakashi peered past Tsunade to where Aisa lay. Tsunade had left Aisa's visor on, but Aisa's bangs were sleeked back from her forehead, a damp washcloth folded and draped over her forehead. The cut in her cheek had been healed, along with all the other injuries she had acquired in her fight with her clansmen, but her color was still off. Aisa had pushed herself hard and far.

No one would push themselves that far for nothing, right?

"I'm glad to hear that. Not many people would accept her if they knew the truth." Tsunade remarked.

"She is our teammate." Yamato remarked.

Tsunade nodded. It was then that she leaned around them to peer at the door where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai waited. Turning her eyes back to Kakashi, she spoke.

"Let her rest another day or two before all of you crowd her."

"Understood." Kakashi agreed.

While he knew Tsunade was right, Kakashi also knew it would be difficult to convince the others to just let Aisa rest. He knew they were all burning to ask Aisa a hundred questions, for he had some of his own, but they needed to let her recover before they hounded her. Kakashi would come by to check on her again later.

For now, they would let her rest.

-0-0-0-0-

When Aisa next awoke, she felt like her whole body had been run through a meat grinder. Every part of her ached and she just over all felt like crap. She wanted nothing more than to roll over and bury her head under her pillow, but she could tell there was someone sitting at her bedside. It took her a moment to finger out who it was.

"Hatake-san?"

Kakashi looked up from his book when Aisa shifted in her bed, one hand raising to press against her face. Sticking a finger between the pages, he lowered his book. The way Aisa moved, she moved like her body was made of lead.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like I had been trampled in a stampede."

"I don't imagine your body is all too grateful for everything you put it through the other day." Kakashi said, a little amused with her answer.

Aisa shifted, seemed to decide it wasn't worth it, and just sank back into her pillows. Kakashi didn't think she would feel like getting out of bed anytime soon.

"No, it's not." Aisa agreed. "What are you doing here, Hatake-san?"

"Reading."

"That's not what I meant. Why are you near **me**?"

Kakashi didn't answer at first. He knew what she meant. She wanted to know why he didn't seem disgusted with her when so many people would have been. It kind of hurt him that she lumped him in with everyone else who had turned their backs on her because of something she couldn't control.

"I told you, Aisa...I'm not leaving you."

Aisa's head turned towards him. Her mouth was twisting, as if she was trying to decide how she felt about his words. Finally, despite the aching of her body, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, leaning back against the headboard.

"I don't understand." she replied simply.

"Look, I understand you don't trust others, and I know why now. It's not beyond me to understand why you don't trust others with knowing that you have Chi-"

"Don't say it out loud. It's bad enough without everyone in this hospital knowing." Aisa said, cutting him off.

Kakashi could understand her wariness to have it spoken aloud. She, herself, seemed like she couldn't say it out loud, couldn't admit that she was part Chirura.

"My point is, I get it, Aisa, I really do. Given all the persecution against those of that clan, I understand why you didn't want anyone to know. But I don't care."

Aisa's brows furrowed, her fingers twisting into the sheets over her lap. It was obvious that she wasn't quite ready to accept that he really didn't care that she was part Chirura.

"What are you trying to say?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter to me what clans make up your bloodline, Aisa. To me and to our team, you are Noroi Aisa, our comrade, and that's all you are." he told her.

"That's difficult to believe."

"Try. Not every one will look at you and see something you can't control."

"Why shouldn't they? The same thing happened with the Uchiha clan."

Kakashi paused when she brought up Sasuke's clan. She wasn't wrong, he knew. There had been a time when the Uchiha clan had suffered prejudice just like the Chirura clan, though maybe not as bad. In many ways, both clans had earned the infamy in which they were regarded with, but not all members of the clans were the same. Kakashi knew that. Just like Sasuke wasn't like his brother and neither were anything like Obito had been, Aisa was nothing like her clansmen. A clan as a whole couldn't be held responsible for the actions of a few.

"Aisa."

Aisa's head rose slightly, tilting in his direction. There was something in his tone that made her feel like she had to listen to what he was about to say.

"Not everyone is the same. You should know that. You know Sasuke and you knew Itachi. Were they alike?" Kakashi asked.

"No."

"Exactly. You are no more like your clansmen then Sasuke was like Itachi. I watched you in that fight. Whatever you may say, or think about yourself, you care about the village and about the well being of those you work with. You strive to be different than those of your clan, to better yourself. As far as I'm concerned, that makes you worlds different than them. That's more than enough for me. And our teammates as well. None of us care what runs through your veins. We care only about who you are and who you are, is far better than you give yourself credit for."

Aisa was speechless. Aside from Tsunade, Shizune, Jiraiya, and Itachi, no one had really accepted her. Even then, Shizune and Jiraiya had feared what Aisa could do at first. They had been wary of her, Tsunade was family, and Itachi...Itachi had always been a weird guy. Even the other half breeds of her clan feared her. But Kakashi...he didn't seem to care at all that she had the blood of a monster in her. What was she suppose to say to that?

"I don't agree."

"Of course you don't." Kakashi said, heaving a sigh and hanging his head.

"But I appreciate the sentiment."

Kakashi raised his head to peer at her with his one visible eye. Aisa's face was angled away from him as she idly plucked at the blanket in her lap. When he remained silent, her face turned in his direction.

"You're strange, Hatake-san." Kakashi hung his head, reaching up to rub at the back of his head. He had hoped for something a little different than that. "Most people are uneasy around me, scared or just wary. Even Shizune and Jiraiya-oji were uneasy around me at first and Tsuna-nee even feared the mere thought of having me anywhere near the village until recently. What makes you so different?"

"Surely there was someone else who looked at you and saw you, not your clan." Kakashi remarked.

"...Only Itachi. He...Itachi accepted me as me. He was the one that gave me the surname Noroi after my family died. Claimed it was my chance to start fresh, to give people the chance to see me for me, not the clan I was related to."

"But you were dragged back in." Kakashi stated.

"Shitarou and the others...they're different, Hatake-san. We have a few pure bloods among us, but because their parents were a little more distantly related than most pairs of parents in the clan, they actually had some sanity to them. They don't like to fight and shed blood anymore than the half breeds do. All they want is to live in peace. They're not asking for acceptance, or even forgiveness for what our clan has been responsible for. Just to be left alone in peace. Is that so much to ask for?"

"No, it's not." Kakashi agreed. "And you? What about you?"

"I am the way I am...I am what I am, for a reason. I always had more aptitude with our kekei genkai than any of the others, aside from Shitarou. When Shitarou and I gathered up the others, they looked to us for guidance and Shitarou and I decided that he would fit the leading role better than me since the others fear me." Aisa said.

"Fear you? Why?" Kakashi asked.

"If you could have met my mother, you would understand. The clans of her parents are two more that shouldn't be messed with. Because of that, with Shitarou filling the leadership role, that left me with the responsibility of protecting those who relied on us."

"Yet, you didn't even live with them."

"Even among a clan of monsters, I'm especially monstrous. I felt it was better that I remained alone. I come when they need me and I handle any threats from those remaining of Mukuro's forces that threatens them or this village. Aside from that...it's just easier when I'm alone."

"And lonely." Kakashi remarked.

"Yeah, well...being lonely is better than hurting those around me. Tell me, if you had to choose between having friends, having others around you and hurting them with your presence, or being lonely and others being safe from you...which one would you choose?"

Kakashi could see her point, but he didn't see how she was hurting anyone. She might have hurt others in the past, but she was working hard to change herself. She needed more confidence in herself and needed to learn to trust those around her. Perhaps asking her to trust multiple people at once was a bit of a stretch, but she could always start with one new person.

And that gave him a great idea.

"Lady Hokage said you should be out of here is a few days. When you're released, I want you to come with me." he told her.

"Go with you where?" Aisa asked, her brow furrowing.

"You'll see."

With that, Kakashi got to his feet, claiming he would go find Shizune to take a look at Aisa. Aisa tried to stop him, to demand answers from him, but he was already out the door. Aisa frowned to herself as she sank back into her pillow, sliding down until she was laying down once more. Kakashi was a weird person. She had never met someone who didn't even seem to stop for a moment to consider what he was getting himself into with her.

Except for Itachi, but Itachi had been a special case.

She didn't know what Kakashi had planned for her, but she had a feeling that he wasn't really going to let her say no. The mere thought had her running a hand down her face. It was so much easier when she was alone. She didn't have to worry about others trying to push her out of her comfort zone. Groaning to herself, Aisa pulled a pillow over her head.

Already, she had a feeling it was going to be a long week.

END

Kyandi: Hehehe...

Aisa: You're already bouncing around in amusement for the next chapter.

Kyandi: I am!

Aisa: Why?

Kyandi: Well, despite the fact that Kakashi might be a little OOC in the next chapter...I can totally see him doing what he's about to do!

Aisa: Unfortunately.

Kyandi: Oh, come on. It's going to be funny.

Aisa: To you. It's going to be amusing, to you.

Kyandi: And the readers.

Aisa: I'm done.

Kyandi: Hehe! Everyone, please enjoy and review.

Aisa: We'll reurn shortly...sadly.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	14. Trust Exercises

Kyandi: Hey Kyandiacs!

Aisa: She's on a roll with this story.

Kyandi: I am. I have a friend that's been reading this and if I make her wait to long, she'll start asking where the chapters are.

Aisa: And since she works at a place that Kyandi-sama frequents everyday, Kyandi-sama would rather not make her wait.

Kyandi: Yep. Not to mention that this chapter was really hilarious to me.

Aisa: Not to me.

Kyandi: Oh well. Lets just get to it. Everyone enjoy and review.

Aisa: Kyandi-sama does not own Naruto.

Chapter 14 Trust Exercises

A few days later, Aisa was deemed perfectly healthy and ready to leave the hospital, provided she stick to an iron rich diet for the next week or two. Aisa, who did so anyway, agreed. During the whole discharge process, she didn't sense hide or hair of Kakashi and was starting to think she would be able to sneak on home without running into him.

That is, until she stepped outside the hospital.

Kakashi stood there, at the gate, two packs at his feet and a book open in his hand. Aisa instantly ducked back into the building, spreading her senses out. Kakashi was merely flipping the page of his book. She should have known he wouldn't let her back out of whatever it was he had planned. While she was grateful that he had readily accepted her, monstrous side and all, she really didn't want to know what he had up his sleeve.

So, no.

She was going home.

Cutting through the hospital, Aisa left through the back, slipping out of the hospital and making it home without smelling Kakashi or sensing him once. Then again, since she was still recovering, her range wasn't as wide as it previously had been. She quietly slipped into her apartment and heaved a sigh as she leaned back against her front door.

"Aisa!?"

Aisa's head rose and she pushed herself off the door. Rounding the doorway into her living room, she found Ihai pressed up against the bars of the door of his cage.

"Thank the heavens you're alright! Let me out of here!" Ihai barked.

"I know I raised you with better manners than that, Ihai." she retorted.

"Please!"

Inwardly grinning, Aisa walked over to the cage, opening the door for the pup. Ihai flew out of the cage and took a flying leap at her stomach. Aisa winced as he hit the exact location of where her oh-so-gracious clansman had tried to rip out her stomach.

"I wish you wouldn't jump at me like that." Aisa told him.

"And I wish you would stop going on those missions! You look terrible." Ihai told her.

"So glad I can always count on you for a bias free, honest opinion on my appearance."

"I meant-"

"I know what you meant. After a bath and a change of clothes, I'll be better."

"Then go do it."

Aisa did not need to be told twice. Leaving Ihai in the living room, Aisa retreated to her bathroom. She would apologize to Kakashi at a later date, but she really did not feel like being subjected to any kind of team building exercises he might have in store.

Sinking into a tub of melt-your-bones hot water, Aisa didn't think about it long. Draping her long legs over the end of the tub, she sank until the water was almost up to her nose. After the long fight with the three insane idiots, she was so grateful for the relaxing water, that even her guards lowered. Leaning her head back against the side of the tub, she released a sigh of relief.

"I will never take a hot bath for granted again." Aisa muttered.

Reaching up, Aisa fiddled with her visor until she slid it completely off. Even with the lights in the bathroom off, Aisa squeezed her eyes as closed as they could get. Normally, she only removed the visor to bathe, and when she did, the tiniest bit of light filtering in past her eyelids, made her eyes hurt. A price to pay after so many years of darkness.

Moving as quickly as she could, she dunked her head back, wetting her hair before working shampoo into it. A quick rinse later, she was wrapping her hair up in a towel and was replacing the visor. She gave her body a wash and slipped out of the tub. After drying and changing into one of her short, sleeveless kimonos, Aisa stepped out of her bedroom and headed down the hall towards the living room as she toweled her hair dry.

"Ihai, I hope you have enough of your food because I really do not want to go out today." Aisa called as she approached the living room.

When she didn't get a reply, she came to stop outside the living room. She strained her ears but didn't hear anything.

"Ihai?"

Aisa stepped into the living room and finally heard the puppy, though whatever he was trying to convey, was muffled. Aisa instantly spread her Blind Eye Jutsu's web, locating Ihai. The puppy was tied up, his mouth muzzled shut and he was locked in his cage once more. It was then that a familiar scent hit her nose and Aisa almost groaned out loud. Heaving a sigh, Aisa turned towards her couch. And just what did she find there?

"Hey."

Kakashi greeted her with a wave of one hand, one of his infamous books in the other hand. He seemed to be very comfortable too, his legs stretched out before him, crossed at the ankles, and his feet bare.

"What is it with shinobi and not understanding what personal space is?" Aisa demanded. "And do I want to know how you got past the five locks on all of the doors?"

"Do you really want to know?" he asked.

"You know what...no, I don't. I just want you to leave me be." Aisa told him.

Kakashi marked his place in his book and closed it. He tucked it away before turning to look up at Aisa. If the smell of her shampoo and soap, strong and fresh, wasn't a give away, she had just gotten out of the bath, her wet hair hanging around her with slightly curling tips.

"I told you. I have somewhere to take you. I already have your pack all packed and have asked the lady who runs the shop under your apartment to continue looking after Ihai." When Aisa's mouth only twisted up, he went on. "I knew if I gave you time to go home, you would probably lock me out. Seems you decided to try to avoid me anyway."

"...Smart man."

It wasn't so much that he was smart, more that she was, at least where he was concerned, predictable.

Reaching down, Kakashi scooped up two packs sitting on the floor by the couch and held one out to Aisa. Aisa didn't move to take it at first. Her mouth moved slightly, as she thought about it.

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" she asked.

"Since Lady Hokage is backing me in this...no."

"Now I see where Naruto gets his persistence from." Aisa muttered, snatching the bag from him.

"I'm only persisting on this." Kakashi told her, standing as he threw his own bag over his shoulder.

He turned on his heel, heading for the front hall. Aisa turned, facing him when she heard Ihai's muffled complaints.

"And you had to tie up my dog?" she asked.

"As far as that's concerned..." Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. "He really doesn't like me."

"Ihai doesn't like men. I told you that."

Aisa slipped her arms through the pack straps and followed him, apologizing to Ihai over her shoulder. She didn't know what Kakashi had up his sleeve, and if she was being honest, it made her a little apprehensive, but she was also a little curious.

Kakashi glanced back at Aisa. He was half tempted to ask her if she was sure it was all men that Ihai didn't like and not just him. Because it really seemed like the puppy had it out for him and he hadn't seen the puppy treat any other guys that way. But he kept it to himself, jamming his hands into his pockets as he waited for Aisa to lock her door. She remained quiet as they walked through the streets, and even as they passed through the gates of the village and out into the woods surrounding the village, avoiding the main road out of the village. After walking for twenty minutes, she couldn't remain silent any longer.

"Hatake-san, where are we going?" she asked.

"Well, first, we're stopping right here."

Kakashi came to a stop in the middle of a clearing. Setting his bag down, he turned to face her. Aisa stood still, waiting to hear what he had planned and why they were out in the middle of the woods.

"Hold out your hand." he requested.

Cautious, but curious at the same time, she held out her left hand. Kakashi latched onto the wrist in a tight grip that she would have to struggle to break free from if she wanted to get away from him. With the other hand, he performed seals faster than he had in the past. He knew if he didn't hurry, she would catch on and rip free of him. It clicked in her head, a second too late, what he was doing.

Aisa went to pull her arm back as his free hand suddenly clamped down on her wrist, putting in place a seal that banded around her wrist. Aisa gasped as her Blind Eye jutsu, the very jutsu she relied upon to replace her blinded eyes, went dark, her chakra suddenly sealed within her with no way for her to reach it.

"What did you do!?" she demanded, yanking her arm free of him.

She pressed the arm to her chest, her free hand wrapping around the wrist that now bore a seal that would keep her from using her chakra. Unable to use it, she could no long form a picture of her surroundings, leaving her, truly, in the dark.

"I sealed your chakra. You won't be able to use it until I remove the seal." Kakashi told her.

"Why!?"

"So you will have to rely on me to get you home."

Aisa really, honestly, didn't know what to say to this. He had lost his mind, surely. She was so shocked by his answer, that her mouth fell open. She tried to think of something to say, but could only repeat what she had already asked.

"Why!?"

"You need to learn to trust people, Aisa. Even the Hokage thinks you do. We're teammates and, yet, you could not trust us to help you in a time when you really could have used it. How are we suppose to work together, if you don't trust us to have your back? One day, you being able to trust me, might be what stands between us completing the mission in one piece and dying." he told her.

Aisa frowned. She knew, somewhere deep in her heart, that he was right, but she had been so set in her ways for so long, that she wasn't prepared to see it his way. Not yet.

"I understand that asking you to trust all of us, so quickly, is a nearly impossible thing to ask of you, so I'm not asking that. I'm merely asking you to trust _**me**_. That is why I sealed your chakra. I'm going to get you home, but you have to trust me, trust my guidance and believe I will do as I promise. That's what teammates are suppose to do."

"What you're asking...it's not so simple of a thing for me." she remarked lowly. "It makes me uneasy not being able to tell what's around me. I don't like this."

Kakashi reached out then, taking hold of her right hand and laying it flat his right hand. He stepped up beside her until she could feel the warmth of his body just behind her.

"That's why it's called trust." he told her. "So, will you trust me, Aisa?"

Aisa worked her jaw, debating this. She trusted so few people, but Kakashi honestly seemed to just want to help her. While, yes, he had put her in a position she wasn't fond of, he didn't mean her any harm. He was just trying to teach her to have a little trust in her teammates. And Tsunade seemed to trust him. If she did, than Aisa figured she could too. Though it was going to be quite the trial. Stealing her nerves, she slipped her fingers through his, tightening her grip on his hand.

"Alright. I'll trust you, Hatake-san, but it's not going to be at once."

Kakashi folded his hand around hers and laid the other hand on her waist, guiding her forward. Aisa had no idea which way they were going, or what was around her. Now and then, Kakashi would guide her to one side or the other, or would have her duck. Soon, the ground under her feet became littered with rocks and Kakashi moved in front of her, taking both of her hands as he verbally guided her over boulders.

"I really don't like this. Especially going over rocks and boulders. Why is this necessary, again?" Aisa asked, as she searched for her next foot hold.

"Lift your foot a little higher. That's right. To the left...a little bit more." Kakashi coached until Aisa found the next step, stepping up with his help. "To answer your question, I told you, a team needs to have some level of trust in each other. Even if something happens and one of us is forced to do something to let that trust down, we have to continue trusting each other."

"You, the great Hatake Kakashi, do something to let down the trust one of his comrades has in him? That sounds like an impossibility." Aisa remarked.

"You think? Move your foot more to the right...right there."

Aisa stepped down as he told her and stumbled forwards into his chest when her foot passed through thin air. She gripped his arms, holding on tight as she scrambled to find a foot hold. She found one, but didn't release him.

"That wasn't funny, Hatake-san." she told him sourly.

"Joking aside, you see my point, right?" he asked.

Grudgingly, Aisa admitted that she did. Especially in the state she was in. If ever, during a fight, she ran too low on chakra that she couldn't use her Blind Eye jutsu, she would have to rely upon her teammates. Meaning, she would have to trust them to lead her straight and true.

Gripping the front of his flak jacket, she shifted her feet, giving herself better balance. She didn't dare let go of him, but she had no idea if she could step back from him or to one side, without falling back down the slope they had been climbing. For the first time since she had first put on the visor, she cursed the thing.

"Alright, I understand. Can you release the seal now?" she asked, hoping he would.

"Sorry, but no. We'll be out here for a few days and the seal is going to remain in place during that time." he told her.

Aisa groaned, her forehead banging against his chest once. She could feel the slight vibration in his chest that suggested he was lightly chuckling to himself. Releasing one of his arms, Aisa smacked him in the chest.

"Seriously, it's not funny. I might not be able to physically see, but I haven't been completely blind once in my life. This is highly uncomfortable for me and you are not helping matters by laughing at me." she told him sourly.

"Right. Let's keep moving."

Moving back away from her, but still keeping hold of her hands, he lead her further up the incline. Now and then, just to remind her that she had to continue to trust him, even if he let her down, he would tell her to take a wrong step, causing her to stumble into his arms or nearly fall, in which case he would have to catch her with an arm around her waist.

Aisa really wanted to give up and refuse to take another step, but she wouldn't be able to find her way home without him thanks to the seal, and she knew it.

By the time they reached the point where they would be bunking down for the next few days, Aisa was mentally exhausted. She dropped to sit on the bedroll that was set out for her use and frowned. Kakashi, sitting across a fire from her, looked up at her. He had to admit that this whole thing was kind of amusing. Aisa was usually very confident in every step she took. After all, why wouldn't she be when her jutsu gave her more details about her surroundings than the naked eye did? To see her so overly cautious and timid with her surroundings, was actually on the adorable side.

Who knew Noroi Aisa knew how to be timid?

"You do realize that, like this, you're going to have to help me with everything, right?" Aisa suddenly asked.

"Of course."

"That includes cleaning and changing clothes since we're going to be out here for a few days. After all, I can't tell what I'm grabbing."

Kakashi paused for a moment as he considered that. He had considered her needing help with eating and getting around. He hadn't really stopped to think about if she needed to wash or change clothes. After all, when shinobis had missions that spanned days on end, they sucked it up and dealt with it. But this wasn't a mission and Aisa wasn't in her ninja gear, so of course she would want time to at least clean herself up a little and change clothes.

Kakashi wasn't quite sure how he felt about helping her with that.

"No offense, Hatake-san, but...I'm not willing to trust you with _**that**_."

"That's understandable." Kakashi replied, rubbing the back of his head.

Aisa's frown grew at his reply, her shoulders slumping for a moment.

"You didn't think that through...did you?" she asked.

"Must have slipped my mind."

"Uh-huh...you've spent too many days on duty if that kind of thing slips your mind."

Kakashi chuckled in reply to that. He couldn't really tell, at first, if she was joking or not, but judging by the slight twitch of her lips, she was fighting back a smile. Pulling her legs up to her chest, Aisa wrapped her arms around them, laying her chin on her knees.

"Hatake-san, be honest...why do you care so much if I learn to trust others or not? I understand that a team functions better when trust between it's members exists, but I'm more along the lines of additional protection for Naruto than an actual member of the team. All that should matter is rather or not I can effectively carry out my duties. I don't need trust to do that." Aisa remarked.

"You might not feel like a true member of the team, Aisa, but you are. While you might see it being better not to trust at the risk of being betrayed, that's not the case." he told her.

"How so?"

"Have you stopped to consider what your refusal to trust us says to us?"

Aisa paused then. She opened her mouth to say something, thought better of it, and closed her mouth once more. As he watched, one side of her mouth twisted. It seemed to be a little more than she could comprehend at the moment.

"Let me put it this way, see if you understand it then." Kakashi offered. "How would you have felt if Itachi hadn't trusted you as he did."

And that was enough to make it sink into her head, he could tell. He watched as her grip on her legs tightened and her shoulders sagged. Considering her close relationship with Itachi, of course she would be able to see it his way when he put it like that.

"Not good." she admitted.

"As your teammates, whether you consider yourself a real member or not, that is how your refusal to trust us, makes us feel. It causes strife in our team and we can't function if one member is constantly neglecting herself in favor of the mission. Trust me, there are more important things then always completing your missions."

"Like?"

"Like your comrades. You can't abandon them, or in your case, refuse to trust them, in favor of the mission. In the ninja world, those who break the rules are trash, that's true, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash. You need to learn this. Not just for your comrades' sake, but for your own. Going through your life constantly wary of those around you...you don't have to live that way."

"It's not so easy to change the way you've been for most of your life, Hatake-san. I have my reasons."

"I know that, too, but it's not impossible. I'm just asking you to have a little faith in your comrades, in me. You'd be surprised how big of a difference it makes." he told her.

"You still haven't told me why it matters to you so much." Aisa retorted.

Kakashi reached up to rub at the back of his head. He could tell her, of course, though he didn't really like talking to others about what had happened in the past. Then again, if she knew about his father, she might know, at least a little, about Rin and Obito, too.

"Let's just say...I was a lot like you at one time." he told her.

"That's hard to believe. I can't see you as anything other than who you are now. To be honest...I prefer the way you are now to any possible way you were before. Especially so if you were anything like how I am."

Now that was a surprise. She actually liked the way he was. It kind of made him smile when he thought that, perhaps, she might have liked Obito a little too. Then again, she didn't really like Naruto and the similarities between Naruto and Obito, were overwhelming.

"Oh? How so?" he asked.

"I've had enough time to observe you and the others. In our team, you're like the glue. You're what holds the team together. Despite some of your more...juvenile qualities. From what Sakura has told me, you're often tardy and you always have some unbelievable excuse as to why, and then there is your obsession with that somewhat perverse book series." Kakashi hung his head when she said this. "But, even with those traits...I don't know. You're presence just seems to be...relaxing. Reassuring. Sakura and Naruto work better when you're there with them, Captain Yamato respects you, and Sai even seems to have respect and admiration for you. Even I feel more relaxed when you're around and I'm the one with issues."

Kakashi raised his head to peer at Aisa. That was actually the last thing he expected her to say.

"You don't get worked up, which is opposite to what I'm use to. Chiruras have short tempers you know, so when I'm around my clansmen...serenity is a sorely lacking quality. Even half breeds can have short tempers. I like the sense of calmness and tranquility that I get from you. So to be honest...I really can't see you being anything close to how I am. In fact, you remind me of a distant cousin of mine. Though, he was more on the stupidly carefree side, kind of like Naruto...which probably explains why he annoyed me, too."

"If there was a compliment in there, I missed it." he told her.

"My point is that I can't see you having ever been anything like me."

"Stranger things have happened." Kakashi told her simply.

He truly regretted the choices he made and it had lead to the change in his view point. From what he had learned of Aisa, she had gone through a similar moment when she had first put on her visor and decided to change her ways for the better. But changing her recklessness and changing her fear of trusting others, were two different things to her. One was possible for her. The other...she doubted she would ever reach a time in her life when she wasn't scared to trust another.

"I wonder about that." she told him.

"Is it that hard to believe?" he asked.

"You, the apathetic, cool and collected Hatake Kakashi, anything like the mess that I am? It's not hard to believe...it's impossible. Though, everyone has their pasts, right?" Aisa replied.

Kakashi silently agreed with her, his thoughts, for a moment, going through all the mistakes he had made in his life. Shaking his head, he snapped himself out of it.

"I changed, so can you." he told her simply.

"Perhaps."

"Aisa, nothing will change if you don't make an effort."

"I know. It's just...not easy."

"You've done it once already."

Aisa's lips pressed together as she considered this. He was right, she knew that. She had changed once, and quite a lot. She could do it again, but to change this, to change her lack of trust in others, she had to be willing to risk something she wasn't sure she could.

She had to risk her heart and her feelings.

"Hatake-san."

"Hmm?"

"How do you do it? How do you lose someone and continue on letting others in, knowing you could lose them too?"

Kakashi thought about how to answer this. There wasn't really an answer he could give her. Yeah, he had lost his parents, his sensei, and several friends along the way, but he kept going. There were too many people left that needed him. He couldn't roll over and play dead yet.

"Because there are still people who need me."

Aisa raised her head off her knees. It wasn't the answer she had been expecting. She had expected something a little deeper and probably overly sappy. Then again, probably not. This was Hatake Kakashi, after all.

Though the concept was simple, it still made her heart ache. Of course, she still had Tsunade, but Tsunade didn't **need** her. She would have been just fine without Aisa in her life and with Itachi gone...there wasn't really anyone who absolutely needed her presence. Not even her fellow half breeds who would survive just fine without her.

"That's pretty simple for a sensei." she remarked.

"You think?" Kakashi asked, chuckling as he scratched one cheek. "In this case, the truth is simple. You have to be willing to give a little in some places."

Aisa nibbled on her bottom lip, as if she wasn't ready to accept that he might be right. Kakashi couldn't blame her. People handled grief in different ways. Some drowned themselves in relationships with others, continuing on for the sake of others rather than themselves. Some fell into a spiraling pit of despair, forever remaining sad, even when they still had a lot to live for and drowning themselves in some kind of vice. Then there were some, like Aisa, who closed themselves off completely, refusing to let another person, or anything or that matter, that could possibly make them feel the same pain they had already felt, have any sway in their lives.

It depended on the person on rather or not they wanted to change that.

"Take Itachi for example."

That got Aisa's attention, making her tune back into the conversation at hand. He figured it would. Whether he liked it or not, Aisa's friendship with Itachi had been a deep one formed and fortified over years of helping each other and having each other's back.

"If what you tell me about him is true, then he spent years burying his pacifist side, spent years bottling up his true feelings. And how did that effect him?" Kakashi asked.

"Badly. Going against his nature, doing everything he did, even if he felt it was for a good reason...it was tearing him apart. He took on more than he should of had to bare." Aisa replied.

"Sound familiar? Or do I have to bring up what you did with your clansmen the other day?" Kakashi asked.

Aisa frowned at him. How could she forget? Her body was still aching. Not to mention that Zumaragi had managed to leave quite the unflattering scar on her stomach.

"That's a bit of a low blow considering that I've already told you that it takes one of our own to defeat a clansman." she told him.

"You aren't the only one who could fight. There is Shitarou and the others."

Aisa's frown grew. Kakashi had a pretty good feeling that if he could see her eyes, she would be glaring at him at that moment.

"You just enjoy being right, don't you?" she asked sourly.

"You see my point, right?" he asked instead of answering.

"Unfortunately."

Kakashi heaved a sigh. Reaching up, he ran a hand through his hair. What was it with Aisa and not wanting to budge on this?

"What will it take to get you to try?" he asked.

"You're offering to trade something?

Why did he suddenly feel like he had walked right into a trap or something?

"Yes?"

Aisa shifted forward until she was on her hands and knees, roughly facing his direction.

"Try to make that not sound like a question. Yes or no."

"Yes."

"Good, then it's a deal." Aisa said with a firm nod.

"Why do I have a bad feeling when you say that?"

"Because if you make a deal with a Chirura, you can't back out. Something about our reputations proceeding us. Everyone gets a bad feeling, even if we don't mean harm." Aisa told him.

"And what do you want?"

"Oh, I'll think of something. For now, let's just classify it as a favor to be named at a later date."

This could end up so badly.

-0-0-0-0-

Later that night, after finally getting Aisa to agree to trust him enough to defend them over the course of the night, Kakashi stayed up for a bit, reading his book by fire light. Just as he reached the end of a chapter, he peered across the fire, checking on Aisa. She had fallen quiet a while back, and when he looked at her, she was asleep.

For someone who had complained about leaving another person to assure her safety while she slept out in the middle of the woods, she was definitely sound asleep. Maybe she was actually starting to trust him a little. He hoped so. All it took was just a little trust at a time. After a while, trusting her teammates wouldn't be so difficult for her.

He hoped.

If this didn't help her in any way, then he wasn't sure what he could do to get her to change her grudge against trusting others. Whether it worked or not, though, he expected to hear some complaining from her. Apparently she had issues with handing over the control she had on her life. And given the current position he had put her in, he had effectively taken the control right out of her hands.

Sometimes, though, that was what it took to get through to a person.

He kind of felt like he had taken on the role of her sensei with how things were.

Kakashi glanced over at Aisa then. Aisa was laying on her side, facing the fire. Thanks to the visor, it was difficult to actually imagine that she was asleep. Except for the fact that she was laying down, one hand tucked under her head, she looked exactly as she did when she was awake. Only the soft sounds of her deep breathing, gave away that she was asleep. Watching her, he wondered exactly what was going on in her head.

While, normally, he didn't pry into others' business and just simply watched from the side lines, with Aisa, he felt compelled to help her, to try to learn more about her. All without actually flat out asking her, of course. If he flat out asked her, she would then have the right to ask questions about him and his life. He didn't really talk to others about himself. Even when he had first greeted Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, he had been vague about himself. He still didn't talk to Naruto and Sakura about himself and he had known the two for years.

But the point with Aisa was that he didn't really understand her. There were things he knew for sure, things he could guess, but he didn't completely understand her and why she was the way she was. She had said it was for a reason, but the question then became...what reason?

Given the persistence of the Akatsuki's pursuit of Naruto, Kakashi had a feeling he would have quite a bit of time around Aisa before her job was complete and she left the village. He would eventually learn more about her.

If she wasn't as stubborn as she was being now, that is.

He would just have to handle it as it came.

-0-0-0-0-

Over the next two days, Aisa seemed to get grumpier and grumpier. Kakashi had her staggering all over a rocky hillside, leading up one boulder riddled slope and down another. He had never seen her so flustered and found it to be quite the interesting sight considering how calm and confident she normally was. After two days of tripping, missing steps, and having to rely on him completely so she didn't face plant the ground, Aisa had had enough.

"That's it! I'm done!"

Kakashi turned to Aisa as she backed away from him and dropped to sit on a boulder. She let out a huff when she missed the boulder and hit the ground. Grumbling to herself, she felt around until she located the boulder and heaved herself up onto it. Kakashi joined her, standing in front of her as she dusted herself off. Her hands lightly ran over her knees, which were scraped from the several falls she had taken over the two days they had been out there.

"I'm done, Hatake-san. I'm suppose to be a shinobi. This is ungraceful and undignified. No shinobi is suppose to be stumbling around, falling on their face like I have been. I haven't scraped a knee from tripping since I was five." she complained.

She lasted longer than he had thought she would without complaining. He had expected her to complain now and then throughout every day, but she had simply trudged on with a frown on her face. She had even dealt with the same clothes and only washing her hands and face so that he wouldn't have to help her with that.

Maybe she deserved a break.

Kakashi lowered himself to sit across from her. He propped his elbows up on his knees, letting his hands dangle between his legs.

"You've made it this long and have improved. You aren't questioning me anymore. Give it a few more days." he told her.

Aisa frowned at that. She wanted to go home...now. She was dirty, her knees ached, and she was getting awfully feed up with not being able to take two steps without tripping over something or missing a step because he wanted to remind her that she had to trust him. He was only pushing this because he didn't know why she had such a hard time trusting people. Heaving a frustrated sigh, she decided that informing him might be best.

"Do you want to know why I don't trust others?" she asked.

"I don't want to know anything you don't want to willingly tell me." he replied.

In other words, he didn't want her to tell him unless she trusted him with the information. Aisa was starting to dislike the word "trust".

"I told you that I lived with my parents and my mother's parents, right?" Aisa asked.

"Yes."

"Well...my father was the Chirura. When Murako, the previous clan leader, found out about the child his son had had outside of the clan, he cracked down on all half breeds and went on a man hunt for them. My father was very careful about hiding me and my mother and grandparents. The only other person who knew about us, aside from a few half breeds, was my father's best friend. This man was suppose to be completely loyal to my father for they had grown up like brothers. He had been like a favored uncle to me. But when asked if he knew anything...he gave up my father and me without hesitating for a moment."

Well that made sense. The man her father had trusted the most, who had been like family, had betrayed him, leading to the death of her father. It had left such an impression on Aisa that she was now horribly against trusting most. It had probably even taken Itachi a long time to gain the trust from her that he had. The same probably stood true for Tsunade as well.

"As far as I've seen, trusting others ends in nothing but pain and heartache, one way or the other. Even trying to learn to trust you, hurts. My knees are screaming." Aisa retorted, before leaning forward, cupping one ear. "Can't you hear them? They're screaming, "Curse you, Hatake-san"."

By this point, Kakashi knew she was trying to lighten the mood a little. She didn't like dwelling in the emotions and memories of her past. She merely wanted him to understand the task he was undertaking while adding in a joke that also showed how unhappy she was.

"Knowing this, are you still willing to continue with this?" she asked.

"Do you trust me yet?" he asked in reply. "If not, than yes."

Aisa slumped forward with a groan, dropping her face into her hands. Rubbing at the exposed parts of her face, she heaved a sigh.

"The more time I spend with you, the more you resemble my father in personality. Both of you insist on trying to help me even when I don't want it." Aisa remarked, before adding in a low tone, "Maybe that's why I like you."

So he was like her father, huh? It was probably that reason alone that she had humored him this long. Kakashi leaned forward, about to say something to encourage her to get back up and continue on, when both he and Aisa, tensed. Aisa raised her nose to the air, sniffing the breeze that blew over them.

"Hatake-san, this scent..."

"I know."

Kakashi got to his feet, his one visible eye scanning their surroundings. There was someone watching them and Kakashi was willing to bet that it wasn't a Leaf shinobi. If it had been someone from their village, they wouldn't be hiding, would have simply come out. Aisa's head twisted to, though she couldn't see and didn't have her jutsu to help her locate whoever it was.

This was the worst time for them to run into an enemy. Aisa had no access to her jutsu and couldn't see so she couldn't rely upon hand-to-hand combat. He would have to get the both of them out of there without them getting hurt.

"Hatake-san, remove the seal. I can't fight like this." Aisa said lowly.

Kakashi glanced down at her. As far as he could tell, there was no more than five people watching them. Considering they were naive enough to let someone pick up on their scent in the air, the five couldn't be that experienced or high level. He could handle them on his own. Though dragging a currently defenseless Aisa along with him, would make things a little difficult, it would also serve to make her trust him a little more.

"Do you trust me, Aisa?"

Aisa's mouth opened, then closed, her jaw working. Even with enemies around them, he wanted to insist she could trust him. Maybe, just maybe, a little trust in him wouldn't get her killed. After all, he hadn't done anything for her not to trust him and given her current position, trusting him was the only way she was going to get out of there unscathed. Making her choice, she held out her hand.

"Alright, Hatake-san. You win. I'll trust you."

Taking her hand, Kakashi pulled her to her feet and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. He warned her to hold on tight before lifting her off her feet. Aisa felt the wind blow her hair around her as he moved, one of her arms wrapping around his neck. She could hear the noise of rustling leaves, could hear the snap of twigs, but this close to Kakashi, she couldn't smell anything but his scent. She felt Kakashi twist, shielding her, the sound of metal on metal meeting her ears a moment later. There was a cry of pain followed by the sound of a body falling out of a tree.

More sounds of fighting came to her ears, but all she could do was hold on to Kakashi and trust him to get her out of it alive. In the course of the fight, Aisa seriously consider the pros and cons of replacing the visor with one she could see out of. Just so this wouldn't happen again. Then again, after so long in the dark, she didn't think her eyes would thank her for the reintroduction to the light.

When Kakashi finally came to a stop, Aisa continued to cling to him, wondering if the fight was done or not. She was sure it was when he set her back on her feet.

"We're clear." he told her.

Aisa released her grip on him, stepping back away from him.

"Did you get a look at who they were?" she asked.

"A hand full of rogue ronin. I'll have to inform the Hokage that they were out here in case there's more." Kakashi told her.

"Meaning we should head back now. Good. Remove the seal." Aisa said, holding out her arm.

While she had finally trusted him and he had proved that trust wasn't ill placed, she was still in a hurry to get the seal off. Well, he had some bad news for her.

"Not until we get back to the village." he told her.

Kakashi watched as one corner of her lips twitched. Her fingers curled into a fist, the muscles in her jaw working. It was almost as if she was fighting back the urge to hit him or something.

"Just you wait...one of these days, just like I did with my father, I'm going to hit you over the head with one of your precious books." she told him.

She would have to get her hands on his books first.

"Starting with this one."

Kakashi's eye widened as Aisa held up the book he had been carrying with him. Reaching back, Kakashi searched his pouch, finding his book missing. When had she gotten her hands on it?! Kakashi turned back as she held it close to herself, ready for him to try to reach for it.

"I might be blind, but when a kinochi of my skills has to be that close to someone, it's easy to slip something off the person. You were just asking for me to take it." she told him.

Trying not to sound too upset by the fact that she had taken the book before he could finish it, he asked her to return it. Aisa refused unless he removed the seal. So, Kakashi did the only thing he could. Aisa heard his feet move and twisted to avoid him reaching for the book. Her foot caught on a rock and she tripped and fell forward, crashing into Kakashi, her shoulder colliding with his gut.

Both of them went down, Aisa landing on top of Kakashi.

"Alright, this really is starting to become annoying." Aisa remarked from where she was now sprawled on his chest. "You know what, forget it. If you want to leave me in the dark until we get back to the village, then you get to give me a piggy back ride. I'm tried of tripping and stumbling."

Aisa pushed herself up until she was sitting, straddling his stomach. Reaching out, she thumped the book against his forehead.

"Got it?" she asked.

This was the second time since meeting her that Kakashi had ended up on his back with Aisa sitting on top of him. Just to get her off, he agreed. He had achieved his goal of getting her to trust him a little more, and hopefully that would be enough for her to think twice before running into a battle alone.

With his agreement, Aisa got off him and the two headed home, Kakashi carrying Aisa on his back. He could still drop her if he wanted, so it wasn't like she wasn't trusting him with her well being.

As evident by the fact that she was nearly choking him.

When they finally arrived back at the village gate, Kakashi released the seal, allowing Aisa to use her jutsu once more. A relieved sigh left Aisa as her Blind Eye Jutsu, once again, supplied her with a mental image of her surroundings.

"Kakashi-sensei! Aisa!"

Aisa and Kakashi turned as they heard their names being called. Naruto came running towards them with Sakura right behind him. The two came to a stop when they reached them.

"Where have you two been the last couple of days?" Naruto asked.

"Nowhere." Aisa answered instantly.

Naruto pouted. Once again, Aisa wasn't telling him anything. Kakashi didn't blame her with this. What shinobi of her rank and experience, wanted to admit that they had spent days stumbling around a forest and rocky hill side like a toddler just learning to walk for the first time?

"Come on, Aisa! You can trust m-"

"Don't say that word! If I ever hear the word "trust" again, it'll be too soon." Aisa said, cutting Naruto off. "I'm going home and I'm going to fall face first onto my bed for the next few days. If any of you need me, then _**please**_ hesitate to ask."

With that, Aisa turned on her heel and walked away, looking tired and put out. Naruto and Sakura watched her walk away before turning on Kakashi, both of them giving him suspicious looks.

"What did you do to her, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"Me? I didn't do anything." Kakashi insisted.

"We don't believe you." Naruto replied.

"It better not have been anything weird." Sakura added.

Without another word, they turned and walked away. Kakashi couldn't help but feel a little disappointed and hurt. There had been a time when Sakura and Naruto had been amazed by just about everything he did. Now, they were blaming him.

He just couldn't catch a break, could he?

END

Kyandi: You know...I don't think I could have handled being in that position either.

Aisa: Oh, that's right. You have a fear of losing your senses.

Kyandi: Yeah, and because of that, my sister made a Naruto OC with a kekei genkai that takes away your senses.

Aisa: I would not want to fight someone like that.

Kyandi: Me neither. I would be that person yelling "No thank you" while running in the opposite direction for all I'm worth.

Aisa: Which isn't that fast. You get beat up a lot in real life, don't you?

Kyandi: Shut up! Here I have power!

Aisa: No references.

Kyandi: But they're fun!

Aisa: To you.

Kyandi: I'm sure those who got it, thought it was funny. Anyway, everyone enjoy and review!

Aisa: We'll return as soon as we can.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


End file.
